There Is No Good in It
by Artemis Ignitan
Summary: Alternate title: Megaman Starless Force. There was always potential for something to go wrong. Even the slightest hesitation can lead to a world of grief. Bad Ending rewrite of Star Force 1. Rated T for eventual character death.
1. Hesitation Leads to Regret

**[A/N]: This is a story that was inspired by Gabe (thispleasestormod at tumblr) watching the Ryuusei no Rockman anime and frankly being scared by one of Subaru's more ominous faces. He then instantly concocted how several events going wrong in the first game would lead Subaru down a spiraling road of madness, which would lead to bad things constantly happening. **

**Naturally, I obliged him and started writing fic. I've already written out nine chapters, which is pretty much the entire story plus some epilogue afterstory that still isn't finished yet. What can I say, tragedy is apparently my thing.**

_**So, be warned. There will be character injury AND death. This is not a happy story. This will not have a good ending. It says so in the story description. If this isn't what you came here to read, well, don't read it. **_

**Now, enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 1_**

**_Hesitation Leads to Regret_**

Subaru actually felt somewhat hopeful as he entered the truck's Comp Space. He was slightly worried about having to fight an actual FM-ian this time around as opposed to just viruses, but he and War-Rock actually seemed to have something going. Nothing too bad had happened yet. The truck wasn't moving anymore, and it looked like those other two kids had survived the crash thanks to the safety mechanisms, so nothing else could go wrong once he got in and took care of the problem, right?

Ox Fire was bigger than he thought. War-Rock said not to worry, that he only kept charging in straight lines, but…it was still nerve wracking. Oh, he could dodge every single attack with ease, but getting in an attack before the hulking beast could hit him was still a pain. He had to get the timing exactly right…

But he was taking too long, being too hesitant. He remembered punching Gonta out the last time they meant. That meant what was happening now was his fault, right? Gonta was doing this because he didn't feel secure in his strength, because of him. (Granted, War-Rock was the one who made his arm move, but still…) Could he really do this again?

Ox Fire's stray attacks kept damaging the Comp Space when they couldn't hit Subaru. One of the attacks hit the control panel. It started malfunctioning, going out of control.

**"Kid! That's enough playing around! You gotta end this now! Get the strongest card you have, finish him off in one shot! I don't care if it's overkill, just end it before the Comp Space gets any more unstable!"**

"G-got it!" But what could he use, when could he hit him at the right time? Subaru froze for the briefest of moments, shaking. During that moment of indecision, Ox Fire dashed up close, ready to hit him with an anger-fueled punch that would drive him into the ground.

_"I don't care if it's overkill, just end it…"_

The strongest card he had for close combat was…

"Battle Card, Predation! _Widesword!_"

Subaru darted underneath Ox Fire's extended arm, ramming his transformed left arm into the FM-ian's chest right where a human heart would have been. He didn't stop, the adrenaline pushing through his body, making him pull his arm out of the chest in a vicious backhanded slice. The chest armor was cut in two, the beast let out a loud, pained bellow, and a red light engulfed the two of them. When it was gone, Gonta lay there, unconscious.

"War-Rock…you said that the person shouldn't have been hurt, right?"

**"Something like that. You should get out of here now, kid. Those attacks you let by you damaged this Comp Space. It's practically set to blow."**

"What? W-what about-?"

**"Ah, don't worry. They'll be forced out of the space in time, since the FM-ian who brought them here is gone."**

"R-right."

And Subaru pulsed out as told. He never saw Luna wake up, never saw her scream out Gonta's name in fear and worry, never saw her crying as she tried to wake up both Gonta and Kizamaro, scared, ignorant, and alone.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru made his way from the park, still tired from that fight with Ox. He was about to cross the street to make his way home, when…

**"Kid, wait!"**

"W-what?"

**"It's not safe to cross yet. Look over there! Use your Visualizer!"** Subaru did as he was told, and looked down to the end of the street. He saw the truck sparking, emitting strange waves as Luna and Kizamaro struggled with something still in the truck, trying to pull it out.

"W-War-Rock! What's happening?"

**"It's the Comp Space! It's collapsing, but one of Ox Fire's attacks hit the control panel. It might have been just enough to turn the controls back on before the Comp Space shuts down completely!"**

"What does that mean, War-Rock?" Subaru felt dread welling up inside of him as he watched the other two kids, finally realizing that Gonta was still unconscious (how strong had that close up attack been, anyway?) and that the large object that Kizamaro and Luna were struggling to pull out was Gonta himself.

**"It means that the car might start up again, do the same thing as it was before for a few more moments before completely breaking down."**

"W-wait! But wasn't it charging around at full speed before? That means-I have to get back in there!" If it kept going forward, at that speed…it would demolish the crashed car in front of it and into the school wall! And the safety mechanisms…they had already been activated to save Luna and Kizamaro! They wouldn't activate a second time because the car shouldn't have been started up again so soon…Subaru tensed, before turning back to the park's wavehole.

**"You can't. It's too late**." And with that ominous proclamation, Subaru heard the dreaded sound of the engine revving itself, the screams of Luna and Kizamaro as the truck started moving…and the loud crash as the truck hit the wall.

**"I don't think that killed the large human. It didn't have enough time to accelerate and build up enough impact force. But with all that heavy metal…I dunno, kid. It might be pretty ugly over there."**

Subaru didn't even respond, instead looking dumbly at the mangled wreck of metal in the distance. He had wanted to help them. But it looked like things had only gotten worse. True, the FM-ian was gone, but…he really shouldn't have agreed to do this, if he wasn't strong enough to make sure that everyone got out of there safely. Why did he bother to get involved with them…?

**"Don't worry about it, kid. You did what you could, and the FM-ian isn't around to cause more trouble."**

"Hm…" Subaru turned away from the grisly scene, walking home with a dull look in his eyes. The emotion of guilt came from not being able to live up to a person's expectations…from getting involved with someone enough to know what they wanted from you, what they hoped you could give them. If people didn't have to get to know each other…if they didn't have to have those kinds of feelings…they wouldn't have had to feel that pain…

Subaru gripped the front of his shirt, over where his heart was. He didn't want to feel that kind of pain again. Not guilt, loss, worry, anything like that. He didn't want to get involved with other people again. That was why he had been so determined to not associate with other people. But then those three came. And he let himself interact with them, enough that he affected their lives. Enough that he felt obligated to apologize to them, enough that the grief he caused opened one of them up to an FM-ian and caused all this.

What good was it to associate with others? None, if it led to this kind of grief. No good at all…

* * *

**[A/N]: And thus begins the descent into madness. Next chapter will be posted...er. Whenever. A week at the latest. It's easy to set deadlines when everything's already written, eh? **


	2. Haste Makes Waste

**[A/N]: Ah, three days is enough, I guess. It's pretty hard to wait to post chapters when you have ten of them already written. **

_**So, be warned. There will be character injury AND death. This is not a happy story. This will not have a good ending. It says so in the story description. If this isn't what you came here to read, well, don't read it. **_

**Now, enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

**_Haste Makes Waste_**

No matter what happened, going to Vista Point always seemed to help, at least a little. It was one of the constants in Subaru's life, and he didn't want to give that up. Even if War-Rock kept complaining about how it was boring.

Of course, once that thought crossed his mind, something would happen to change it. A man was flying through the sky with large wings on his back, screaming. It didn't look like he was able to keep himself steady in the air. By the time Subaru had registered his feeling of shock, the man had already crashed further down, next to where Vista Point's train was. Instead of approaching, Subaru looked down from the viewing platform, watching in surprise as the man took off his wings. It looked like he was wearing some sort of…backpack.

**"Ohh, kiddo…that looks interesting! We should take a look!"**

"It does look interesting, but isn't that kind of rude…?"

**"Maa, we should just go up and ask him or whatever! No problem at all!"**

"I guess…" But Subaru didn't move. He was suddenly nervous. Why did he need to interact with the man? What was the point in talking with him, forming a connection with him, no matter how small and insignificant it seemed? The three so-called classmates certainly didn't have a good relationship with him, after all, and after what happened to them…as much as it annoyed him back then, it felt strange, not having them constantly pester him. They were still holed up visiting Gonta at the hospital these days. War-Rock had been correct, the large boy had lived, but he wouldn't be walking ever again. What a load of unnecessary pain and grief. And the man didn't look like he wanted to talk to anyone. He was looking around anxiously and unsuccessfully trying to hide his winged backpack.

"No. I don't want to go, War-Rock."

**"Geez, you need to learn to live a little, kid!"** And War-Rock attempted to pull the stunt he had done several times before, dragging Subaru around with his left arm. But Subaru didn't want to give in. It was that action that had jumpstarted this whole mess, after all. If War-Rock hadn't made him punch Gonta…

"No, War-Rock!" Subaru grabbed onto the observation point's guardrail with one hand, refusing to budge. Eventually, the alien had to give up, lest he rip his human companion in two. The boy had a surprisingly strong grip when he felt determined. "I'm not going to be pulled around like that anymore! Every time I let you do that, it's been nothing but trouble!"

**"Che."** And War-Rock had the dignity to look slightly sheepish for all of five seconds. **"Fine then."**

They were both silent as they watched the man pack up his winged pack and left. They left Vista Point themselves some time afterwards. The help signal sounded, and while War-Rock was interested, one look at Subaru showed he was still in an uncooperative mood. So he simply asked what it was, Subaru responded, and they ignored it. Somebody else would come to help them, he was sure. Somebody without a noisy, troublemaking alien with other noisy, troublemaking aliens after him.

Subaru couldn't ignore Amachi-san calling out to him, though, since they were already acquainted. Nor could they turn down his invitation to AMAKEN, the science lab. At least War-Rock couldn't say they weren't going somewhere interesting tomorrow.

All Subaru could do was accept and nod, and pretend that he didn't recognize that odd fellow that he saw at Vista Point, when Amachi-san introduced him as his co-worker.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Utagai growled in anger as Amachi left the office. How dare he! How dare he keep asking about his life, his habits, and _especially_ his work! It was good that he managed to keep the fact that the FlapPack was nearly complete from him; otherwise the man would have surely renewed his offer of forming a BrotherBand with him. He could not allow that! It would merely be a repeat of the same thing! A superior constantly being kind to him, forming a BrotherBand just as he completed his invention, and then stealing it for themselves!

Oh, he could easily see what Amachi was planning. Inviting a young boy to his lab to show him inventions he claimed to make, was it? Children that age were scurrilous gossips. And then all Amachi would have to do was attempt to gain his trust enough to understand the FlapPack, then spread a little rumor to the ignorant boy…he'd lose it all over again!

He would do anything to keep that from happening again. So when Cygnus came to him, and offered him the means to be rid of all traitorous society…he took that offer immediately and without remorse.

Never again would he be betrayed.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru had to admit, he was entranced by AMAKEN's facility. They had so many things, even a space simulator! He had to pretend to be surprised at Utagai-san's FlapPack though, so that's what it was called. He found it interesting that both Utagai-san and Amachi-san were working on different types of packs-maybe they had worked together at some point? He admitted to himself that visiting a place like this…it was actually kind of fun.

And then Cygnus appeared. Subaru had just barely managed to avoid the Swan Dance's snare, but he had a worse ordeal in front of him. He had to fight another one of those FM-ians? What if something bad happened again? But there was no one else, and otherwise Amachi-san and the other people would…

Subaru made his way to the core of the simulator controls. He wouldn't make the same mistake he made with Gonta and Ox Fire. He'd defeat Cygnus Wing quickly and without remorse, otherwise he'd leave room for something to happen.

So he did. He only stepped back when it looked like Utagai-san was starting to return to his old self. Amachi-san…was calling to Utagai-san. Maybe things would work out.

And then Utagai-san demanded that Amachi-san remove his helmet. In the oxygen-less simulator. No. He wouldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't! Before Amachi-san had a chance to respond, Subaru growled and grabbed the weakened Cygnus Wing by his neck, slamming him into the ground.

"I won't allow you to force that decision on him!"

He ignored Amachi-san crying out for Utagai-san, instead intent on eliminating the FM-ian before it could cause more damage.

"Is there a way to get Cygnus out of him, War-Rock?"

**"Now that he and the human have been weakened to this state, I think I can pull him out. Give me a sec…"**

And Subaru did so accordingly, sticking War-Rock's head into Cygnus Wing's chest and giving a sharp tug even as his other hand was practically strangling his opponent. The avian FM-ian was pulled out slowly and torturously, with enough screaming and struggling from both Cygnus and Utagai-san to seriously frighten those who were watching. Eventually Cygnus was pulled out, and Subaru turned his back on the unconscious Utagai, holding Cygnus by his neck. The FM-ian hang limply, unable to even struggle, even as Subaru changed hands so that War-Rock's mouth was free from holding onto Cygnus. Maybe now was a good time to actually get some information about what he was facing.

"How many of you followed War-Rock here?" The tone of his voice was surprisingly harsh, and one that War-Rock hadn't heard from the young boy before. Maybe he was learning how to be a proper warrior now? It was enough to make the FM-ian flinch back from the question.

**"A-all of the FM King's most powerful warriors-! Did you expect less, considering what War-Rock's taken from him?"**

**"So, all nine of you, huh? Good to know. I'd been wanting to give them a farewell chat before I left the planet!"**

"N-nine, War-Rock?"

**"Well, seven now. Taurus is gone, and this guy is as good as."**

**"N-no…p-please, spare me…I will not track you down again!"**

That plea for mercy only got Subaru to tighten his grip on Cygnus' throat.

"After what you've done? I think not…it'd be better to make sure you don't cause pain to anyone else…"

**"No, please!"**

"Battle Card, Predation. _Cannon._" He leveled the weapon with Cygnus's chest, and fired. The weakened EM body didn't stand a chance. It completely disintegrated in the blast with a final, agonized, scream.

**"Quick and efficient kid, you're starting to learn-KID!"**

"W-what?"

**"Look outside!"** And Subaru did.

"N-no…" How had Utagai-san ended up out in the simulator? And he was starting to convulse…

**"When Cygnus was separated from him, he was forced out of the comp space while we were talking with him! There's no air out there, kid, he won't last!"**

"NO! I WON'T LET HIM DIE!" He dashed for the controls, frantically trying to make them work. Where was the lock that prevented oxygen from entering?

He couldn't cause more pain to somebody else again!

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru waited just outside the simulator, waiting. He watched, face paling, as medical personnel brought out Utagai-san, who wasn't conscious and barely breathing. Amachi-san was the last one to exit, and he looked just as worried as Subaru felt. He looked intent on following the medics, but upon seeing Subaru, pale and shaking, he immediately rushed to the young boy.

"A-amachi-san…"

"Subaru-kun! How-how did you get-"

"I…I didn't see that monster dancing so…I didn't start dancing. I got the key card and I managed to get out to look for help but, but…the door, the door, it…it sealed itself, I couldn't get back in! I didn't know what to do…I was so scared…I…I…!"

"It's okay, Subaru-kun…I know you wanted to help…I wish you didn't have to go through that…"

"W-what happened in there, Amachi-san…?" Subaru knew, of course. But he couldn't tell the older man about what he'd done, what he was responsible for causing…and he wanted to know if Utagai-san would be okay…

"Some young boy in blue managed to defeat the monster, but Utagai suddenly appeared inside the simulator, and there really was no oxygen in it! He was deprived of air for a few minutes before any of us could figure out how to get oxygen in the chamber, or open the door, so we don't know his condition, but…it looks like he'll live."

"S-so…Utagai-san will be…okay, right?" Subaru was not heartened by the fact that Amachi-san didn't respond right away. "…H-he's gonna be okay, right?"

"Subaru-kun…" Amachi-san let out a low sigh, and at that, Subaru felt dread returning to him. "I don't know how to say this, but...Utagai….Utagai's brain was deprived of oxygen for a long time. It sustained a lot of damage…he might not ever wake up, Subaru-kun."

"No…" The word came out in a breathy whisper. He barely knew the man. But just the fact that he had been unable to save him, had neglected to make sure he'd leave the Comp Space safely, had focused too much on the FM-ian and had forgotten about the person they had taken over…he felt the guilt overwhelming him again. That painful feeling again. Why? Why did he have to keep feeling this? "I couldn't…"

"It's okay, Subaru-kun. You couldn't have done anything to help. I know you tried, but it's not your fault, alright?"

If only Amachi-san knew. There was no way he wouldn't blame him if he did know. But Subaru couldn't tell him. And he didn't want this to have the effect on him that it was having. He didn't want to feel this pain. Why was he feeling so much worse this time around? Because he saw Utagai-san's condition up close? Because he could have done more this time around and didn't? He didn't know. But he didn't want to feel this. It hurt. He was confused. He didn't know what to do.

Subaru burst into tears right then and there, not stopping even when Amachi-san embraced him, trying to comfort him due to his completely misguided view of Subaru simply being a confused and scared child.

He didn't stop crying for a long time.

* * *

**[A/N]: Well, I'd love to see what you all think of how things are going so far! Until next time!****  
**


	3. Indifference Makes it Better

**[A/N]: Posting chapter 3 early because you all were excited about Harp Note's chapter and because I only have one chapter left to go in my planned outline anyway. (So it looks like the total will be twelve chapters...plus some guest chapters from Gabe!) I don't blame you. She is a particularly important character in canon. Here...well. You'll see.  
**

_**So, be warned. There will be character injury AND death. This is not a happy story. This will not have a good ending. It says so in the story description. If this isn't what you came here to read, well, don't read it. **_

**Now, enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

**_Indifference Makes it Better_**

Subaru didn't leave the house for the next few days after that incident. For once, his mother didn't ask him questions about it. For all that she knew, she had come so close to losing her only family left in the world, and her precious baby boy at that! And she knew that the events at AMAKEN had affected him strongly, if his tearful face upon being driven home by Amachi was any indication. She only hoped that he could soon recover enough to resume his usual habits.

War-Rock, on the other hand, was terribly bored by his human companion's behavior. Even going out to stare at the sky was better than this! He had developed a habit of just leaving the house for long stretches of time for amusement, and as long as he came back, Subaru didn't mind. He still needed War-Rock to tell him about his father, after all.

It was during one of those jaunts that the officer, Goyuda-san, showed up at his house. Subaru was already familiar with him. The overzealous officer was the one who showed up to investigate the events at AMAKEN, and since Subaru was still there, being comforted by Amachi-san, he was naturally questioned. Luckily, his tear-stained face and Amachi-san's concern for him let him get away with only a few questions and no search of his Transer. It was good that War-Rock wasn't home, but even so, his house was apparently soaked in Z Waves. Goyuda-san eventually pinned it down to the fact that Subaru was around both the truck and AMAKEN incidents, however, and after he was satisfied that Subaru wasn't suffering any adverse effects, he left. It wasn't much longer before War-Rock came back.

"Ne, War-Rock, you should be more careful, next time. That officer was here again."

**"Maa, maa, that guy? He didn't seem like a big deal."**

"Yeah, but it turns out that he knows about alien lifeforms like you being here and that you're the source of the Z-Waves. I think he might have suspected me a little…"

**"Well then, we should go investigate him!"**

"No, War-Rock! I said he _might_ have! Anyways, he convinced himself that finding me at both places was just a coincidence. Having us go after him so soon after he visited us, that's no good, that'll make him suspect us again. If we just keep to ourselves, he'll forget about us."

**"Sounds boring, kid. But, I see your point, anyway. We'll leave the old man alone…"** War-Rock groaned. What a troublesome kid he chose to partner up with! Still, the kid was a good fighter, and they did a bit of virus busting around the house several times a day, so he couldn't complain about not being prepared.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The wail of an electric guitar outside startled Subaru, causing him to mess up on his self-study practice assignment.

"Geez…!" Why were things getting so noisy these days? Yesterday it was Goyuda-san, this morning it was that strange man who was looking for some girl, Mi-something…and now this.

**"Subaru!"** Oh. The alien sounded worried. That couldn't be good. Subaru opened up his Transer to talk to him.

"What is it, War-Rock?"

**"I recognize this frequency! We've got an FM-ian on our hands, it's Harp!"**

"Harp?"

**"She controls music and sound, kid. She's a tricky one, a real sweet-talker. Che. I hate dealing with women…"** Subaru only sighed at this.

"I guess I'd better be the one to deal with her this time, then…" Subaru really didn't like fighting these FM-ians. Something always seemed to happen. But it was better than just letting them do as they pleased.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

He didn't really get what the girl in pink-Harp Note, right, that was it-was ranting about. She kept going on and on about "protecting her mama's song" and "not letting anyone tarnish her music," which really struck Subaru as hypocritical, somehow. He didn't have time to really think about it; instead he focused on chasing her down, as she kept fleeing from him for some reason. It seemed as though Harp had chosen to adapt to a "hit and run" strategy in an attempt to wear him down.

**"Tch! That's typical of Harp! She wasn't one of the physically strongest aliens, but she always found a way to trick others into a prime spot to be attacked! Her music waves could seriously disrupt frequencies if she got in the right place-kid! I bet that's why she's headed close to that lab, it's got some satellite dishes with good reception! You gotta cut her off before she finds a way to spread that music of hers, and do it quickly!"**

"Got it!" And Subaru did so, managing to corner Harp Note just above the wooded area around AMAKEN.

"You-! I won't let you stand in my way! Selfish fans like you, tainting my mama's song…you're all unforgivable!"

"I don't even know who you are!" Subaru then dodged a burst of guitar strings that looked as if they had been intended to ensnare…or impale him. "But you're causing trouble, so I gotta stop you!"

"Ha! Just try me!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

War-Rock was right; Harp was a crafty FM-ian. That tendency seemed to be shared by her human-she'd often try to use her guitar strings to ensnare him or trip him up, and strung them all over the Wave World at one point to make a web he had to dodge around. She'd try to hit him with attacks whenever her strings forced an opening, and her attacks left him numb. Harp herself seemed to enjoy unsettling War-Rock as well-he didn't hear what she kept whispering to him, but it always made him pause and sometimes even whisper back. Overall, the fight was actually fairly difficult. But a few nicely timed Fire Rings and Gatlings managed to stun her enough that he could land the final blow on her.

"Battle Card, _Radar Missle!"_ The girl had nearly been blown off the Wave Road due to the strength of the attack; it was only Subaru catching her by her scarf that saved her. She wasn't much better off in this position, however, as he didn't seem inclined to notice that the way he was holding it was choking her as he reeled her in, and in fact tightened it once he pulled her back on the Wave Road to keep her from moving.

"Y-y-ou-!" she rasped out, both hands on her scarf, trying to pry her way free from its choking hold. "I-won't let you-" and she cut herself off, gulping for air. "-t-tarnish-!"

"You're still going on about that?" And Subaru looked annoyed. "I don't understand your reasoning at all, hurting people with it only means you're gonna get somebody else's blood all over your song, or her song, or whoever it is." Harp Note seethed with anger at his dismissive, almost _judging_ tone.

"I wouldn't…expect _you_ to understand…nobody does-gack!" She gasped as he tightened his grip even further.

"No, I don't. I have a simpler creed to live by. You're causing trouble, so I'm stopping you."

"Heh." And Harp Note quirked her lips into an ironic smirk, almost as if she was welcoming more misery. "So, you're going to just beat me up a bit more, huh?"

"No." Subaru reached out with War-Rock's head. "I have business with your _guitar._" And with that, he grabbed onto the blue instrument that Harp had turned into, tearing her violently from Harp Note's arms and tossing the other girl aside, where she crumpled onto the Wave Road in a heap. He ignored her as she struggled to breathe, instead shifting Harp around in his arms.

"You have anything else to say, Harp? Any more information that War-Rock and I should know, hm?"

**"Hah! Nothing that you can't figure out by common sense! The higher ups have their eyes on you, you know!"**

"Hmph. Useless. Better keep you from causing more trouble to us, then! Battle Card, _Brave Sword!"_ Before Harp Note could do more than call out, Subaru had thrown Harp onto the Wave Road and sliced her in two, forcing her to revert back into her normal, lyre-shaped form before disintegrating into pieces, screaming the whole time. Immediately, the pink-clad girl felt a severe pain in her chest, and she passed out, turning back into Misora before disappearing off the Wave Road.

**"Subaru…"** As pleased as War-Rock was with how efficient the kid was getting, he was surprised at the abrupt ending to the fight.

"Heh? Something wrong, War-Rock?" Hm, the kid sounded like his normal clueless self again. Maybe he was just getting more into the fights.

**"Nah, it's nothing. You ain't worried about the girl?"**

"She would have reappeared just below us right? It's close enough to AMAKEN. Somebody will find her so she should be okay." Actually, he didn't want to go down there at all. He didn't want to see anything he might have caused. It was easier to deny that anything went wrong if he didn't see it, right? Subaru groaned. "The things she was saying were kind of giving me a headache, actually, I didn't understand it at all…"

**"Yeah, well you humans have all sorts of your kind, don't ya? It's probably just something Harp told her to get the girl to cooperate. I told you she was a sweet talker, didn't I?"**

"Aah. Let's go home, War-Rock."

**"Sounds good to me!"** Yeah, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. War-Rock dismissed the twinge of worry he felt. Everything was going swell, and there wasn't anything to worry about!

Right?

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Misora struggled to her feet. She couldn't believe it. She had failed to protect the dignity of her mama's song! Even with Harp's help, she…

She couldn't. She couldn't go back. Back to those terrible people. They'd use her again. They'd cheapen her and her mama's songs. They'd use her like a-a soulless machine, printing more and more dribble to satisfy those greedy fans! Even now, they were looking for her. She heard them coming, from that lab the boy had dropped her near.

She wasn't going back. Ever. She'd protect her song forever. Harp had taught her how to stand up for herself, to take matters into her own hands. She wouldn't waste that lesson, as short as it had been.

Her legs shook as she started to run. An almost crazed expression crossed her face as she ran deeper into the trees. She had failed once. Once was one time too many. She wouldn't fail again. She'd keep running, and running, keeping her and her mama's songs to herself forever, until she could reach Heaven again. She'd make up more songs. Songs about her running, her shame, her efforts, so that she could tell mama everything about what happened to her, and how happy she would be to see her again.

Her pace quickened as she heard the voices get louder.

_Watch me, mama. I'll protect our songs for you, I promise! I'll do whatever it takes!_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru noticed the headlines the next day. _"Famous Pop Idol, Hibiki Misora: Missing!" _It wasn't until he saw the picture that he realized that she was Harp Note.

He found himself feeling strangely detached this time around. The news media always hyped things up whenever a famous star was involved. And besides, they should have found her. Whoever was looking wasn't doing a very good job. It's not like he could have carried her back or anything without arousing suspicion, so he had done all he could. Besides, he still really didn't get what she was all worked up about. Perhaps she was a little off in the head or something. That happened to a lot of stars, didn't it?

Anyways, it wasn't like what had happened to her was as bad as what happened to Gonta or Utagai-san. She wasn't even that badly injured, so she should be fine on her own. It was possible she just didn't want to be found. She really didn't seem to like other people much, did she?

Yep, it looked like this time around, things actually went pretty well. Maybe he was getting better at this fighting FM-ians thing, after all.

* * *

**[A/N]: The next two chapters will be guest interludes written by the original creator of this verse, Gabe. While they're not specifically part of the main plot, they will enrich the setting, so be sure to read them! Until next time!****  
**


	4. Interlude 1: Unfulfilled Hope

**[A/N]: And here's the first interlude by Gabe! This meeting actually does impact a later chapter in the story, so don't simply skip by!  
**

_**So, be warned. There will be character injury AND death. This is not a happy story. This will not have a good ending. It says so in the story description. If this isn't what you came here to read, well, don't read it. **_

**Now, enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3.5_**

**_Unfufilled Hope_**

"…Excuse me? Are you Subaru?"

The last thing Subaru expected was to be addressed by someone he didn't know, yet who knew his name, as he headed towards Vista Point for the night. Maybe he hadn't noticed the other boy - was it a boy? That green hair down to his shoulders made it kind of hard to tell - because somewhere in the back of his head he was still playing out the events with Misora.

"I am. Why? Who are you?"

"Sorry… I'm Tsukasa. Your classmate. …I just wanted to meet you." He was nervous, clearly. His head was down and he was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

"…I see. Well, you've met me," Subaru wasn't sure what exactly this was about, but he didn't really want to be bothered. "I'm not coming to class any time soon."

"That… that's okay. I was just curious," Tsukasa hung his head. "Our teacher still calls for you in homeroom. …Nobody ever answers, but I keep wondering what you're like."

Tsukasa finally looked up at Subaru, with eyes that shone with a lonely kind of hoping. He wanted to know what answer Subaru would have for him. He'd watched Subaru from afar, before, and now face to face… he wanted to know if this was really the person he had made Subaru out to be. And Subaru, poor Subaru, knew none of how high the boy's hopes were riding on this meeting.

All the brunette knew was that this person was trying to be friendly; but the thought - _someone wants to befriend me_ - just brought to the forefront of his mind memories he'd tried to shove away. The last ones who'd tried to befriend him, if that had indeed been what they were after. Luna, Gonta, Kizamaro… His thoughts were blared out by the sound of the crash he refused to look at, what felt like ages ago now.

"Hey, kid. Say something to him! He's waiting!" It was War-Rock's voice, snapping Subaru out of it. That was all it took, for him to make a decision.

"Don't bother with me. I don't want any friends." They'll just get wrapped up in this, and get hurt, like Utagai did, and Gonta before him. Those last thoughts Subaru gave no voice to.

"Oh." Tsukasa's answer was neutral, but his gaze quickly dropped back to the ground. "…Sorry."

Subaru stared at Tsukasa for a moment, then turned and started walking away, without so much as a goodbye, and Tsukasa didn't follow. The boy stayed behind, still staring at the ground, until Subaru was long gone. Nearby, the bells at Echo Ridge Elementary rang, and Tsukasa realised he'd spent too much time here as it was. Though, he wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere, not now.

"…Why'd I let my hopes get up?"

* * *

**[A/N]: One interlude posted, one more to come. The next one is also pretty short, so it'll be posted tomorrow, maybe.****  
**


	5. Interlude 2: Always Alone

**[A/N]: And here's the second interlude by Gabe! This meeting isn't as important, but it does help tie up one loose end and Gabe felt like expressing some personal headcanon of one of the side characters.  
**

_**So, be warned. There will be character injury AND death. This is not a happy story. This will not have a good ending. It says so in the story description. If this isn't what you came here to read, well, don't read it.**_

**Now, enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3.75_**

**_Always Alone_**

Everyone had already left.

It wasn't like Hasami was surprised. His classmates had told him "If you're late, we won't wait for you!" and he'd told them he wouldn't be late at all. So clearly, his watch had to slow for this to have happened. To think, he'd been invited to a birthday party, too, for once. Now he'd missed it.

He took a seat on the swings in the park, pulling his red cap down a little farther and starting to move, slowly, lazily. Nothing ever went his way. He was a little too lazy and showed up late. Or he was too short to go on all the rides, so nobody would take him to a theme park. Or he'd be the last picked for gym class.

The creaking of the swings gave him something to shut out the sounds that tried to form in his ears. Sounds of his classmates jeering at him and calling him a weirdo, making fun of his clothes, making fun of his obsession with Misora. Misora, who'd disappeared a while ago, up and suddenly, reminding him of mom's leaving a couple years ago. At least dad was there… when he wasn't working. But even then he was usually drunk, so he wasn't any fun at all. And it wasn't like he cared.

Nobody cared.

Hasami swung, harder and faster and harder and faster, letting himself stop thinking and start just enjoying the feeling. It was a little like flying, and the faster he got the easier it was to enjoy himself. By himself. Nobody needed to be around to watch. Nobody needed to be here to laugh with or talk with; these swings let him feel good without anyone around.

Nobody needed to be here to watch him go too high and fall off the swings gracelessly, slamming down onto his back painfully in the sand and getting the wind knocked out of him.

Hasami lay there, panting and wheezing, arms crossed over his stomach in panic. It felt like something had broken; but of course, nothing had, it just hurt all over for a little bit.

Only when he finally managed to roll over did he notice he wasn't alone.

**0-0-0-0-0**

It was becoming less and less of a surprise to Subaru, that the people who were being taken over by FM Aliens were around his age. First Gonta, and then that Misora girl who'd gone missing. When War-Rock sent Subaru to a park nearby to take care of one of them - Cancer, he'd called it - Subaru was already expecting it to be a kid.

Frankly, this one was just goofy looking. Cancer Bubble, he called himself. He announced himself as here to get the Andromeda Key and went through what felt frankly rehearsed to Subaru by this point. "I'm here to punish the traitor, War-Rock! Then the FM King will recognize us as his greatest warriors! We'll be heroes~!"

The fight that occurred was a joke. Taurus Fire, Cygnus Wing, Harp Note - these three had been out to kill him. Out to strike him down. During the fight with Cancer Bubble, however, it wasn't Subaru having to run and hide from their attacks. Everything he did, Subaru simply cut right through and kept advancing.

"Battle Card, Predation! _Flicker Kick_!"

Diving in foot-first, Subaru met the crab's sudden wave head on. He tore through, breaking it and crashing into the alien's forehead, sending it flying and scattering - yes, scattering. He'd won, with almost a single attack; the human and the alien were separated now.

Of course, the FM-ian wasn't gone, and that's where the problem lay. Subaru approached it, raising Rock's head to point down at the defeated alien, ready to land the finishing blow.

"…W-wait…!" Hasami gasped in surprise at what he saw, trying to force himself to stand; but just like earlier today, it was hard to move. Getting sent flying had taken the wind and the voice straight out of him, and his protests were weak and quiet.

Unable to speak in that moment, there wasn't anything he could do expect listen to the much louder sounds that Subaru made - the sound of the Rock Buster, and Cancer giving a finally scream of death.

Everything was silent for a bit. The only sounds were Hasami's breathing as he tried to collect himself, tried to get his body working again, so he could move or do something,anything- even just _say_ something, but he couldn't believe it.

Subaru turned to look at the boy after a bit. "There. You're safe, now."

"…Why…?"

Seeing tears forming in the small boy's eyes was not the answer Subaru expected.

"Wh-why'd you… h-he was… wh-whyyy…" It was like Subaru's declaration had settled the reality of what had just happened into Hasami's head. What had been gasping for air was quickly become empty, hopeless sobs.

"The heck is this kid's problem?" War-Rock mused.

"…I dunno," Subaru's answer was just as callous. They'd defeated an alien and saved him, right? What business did this kid have crying about it? Was this some weird side effect of them being separated by force?

Well, it didn't matter, Subaru decided. The kid would be fine in time. Nothing more to be said and done. So he left.

He left Hasami there to cry, curling up on himself.

**0-0-0-0-0**

_"Are you alright? You look like you hurt yourself pretty bad!"_

_"What… What are you? You look kinda funny, like some kinda…lobster?"_

_"Crab! I'm a crab! My name's Cancer! I'm here on earth to be a hero!"_

_"A hero, huh?" Of all the things to be surprised by, Hasami was just glad to have someone to talk to, even if it didn't look human at all._

_"Yup! To defeat a big bad traitor! But I need someone's help to do it!"_

_"Hahaha! Well, Cancer crab guy… I'm Hasami! Hasami Chiyokichi! I'm in first grade, and I like playing games and listening to Misora!"_

_"Games? I like games too! Let's play some!"_

_Really? Just this once… someone wanted to play with him? This Cancer guy was weird, but it would do. "Sure! And then help you become a hero, too!"_

He'd barely known him for a day.

Now Hasami was alone again.

* * *

**[A/N]: And that's it for interludes. Basically, this comes from Gabe's personal headcanon of Hasami-or Claud Pincer, if you go by dub-based on that one throwaway line of War-Rock pointing out that he probably joined up with Cancer out of loneliness and having no friends. Out of that, and combining it with anime canon of him being a Misora fanboy, he deduced that Cancer would be kind of like one of those people who would run fanblogs, if he wasn't so young. As it is, he's also ostracized not only because of his crabby nature, but also because of his little dorky obsessions over things like Misora, which only makes him more crabby from being alone, and the cycle continues. He also has a personal headcanon of Cancer being the "little brother" of the FM-ian elites, and didn't really treat the War-Rock traitor scenario as seriously as he could have-thinking all he had to do was beat the big bad traitor and be a hero. In that sense, they make a perfect dorky hero team, and had it been regular canon, it would have simply meant the friendly boss battles with Rockman like in the games. In the Bad End AU, though, where Subaru focuses on eliminating the FM-ian no matter what...****  
**

**You get the idea.**

**Next chapter comes tomorrow or the day after!**


	6. Don't Lose Your Delicate Balance!

**[A/N]: Right, back to plot! Also, just to clarify for at least one reviewer, Luna and Kizamaro didn't sustain any injuries in the crash. It wasn't written clearly, but they had both managed to get out of the truck, however Gonta had not awakened and they were struggling to pull him out when the truck restarted. So both are uninjured, but they haven't been bothering Subaru lately because they've been visiting Gonta at the hospital. **

**Also, about the battle scenarios, I'm actually not entirely sure if Mega and Giga cards exist here. It's an odd mix between anime and game canon-it goes something like the anime battles, using regular battle cards in a brawl-like setting, but it follows game verse by having Predation only being used as the Mega Attack, so when he zooms in with a close range card. He doesn't actually collect any Mega or Giga cards in this fic because they don't exist, but with some aftergame scenarios going on, he might or might not need them...I'll have to talk it over with Gabe. You've definitely given me some food for thought!**

**Anyways, next chapter, go!**

* * *

**_Chapter 4_**

**_Don't Lose Your Delicate Balance!_**

It was a few more days until Subaru finally worked up enough willpower to leave the house. He really needed a good sky watching from Vista Point. For War-Rock's sake, he even bothered to take the Wave Road there so they could indulge in some more virus busting. Coming to Vista Point this way actually was a nice way to avoid having to talk to people while he was out, so he figured he could do this more often.

When they reached Vista Point, however, War-Rock wasn't interested at looking at the sky.

**"Oi. Kiddo. Look over there."**

"Eh? Why?"

**"Just look at it, will ya? And put your Visualizer on!"**

The second command what was really got Subaru's attention. That usually meant trouble. When he slipped them on, he couldn't help but jump back in shock.

"There's so many strange waves coming from the school! What are those waves, War-Rock?"

**"I dunno, but they look like they're not good for humans, kid. I think an FM-ian's behind this, 'cause it looks like they've been coming out for a while, and nobody's stopped it or tried to evacuate anyone out of that building. I sense loads of people in there, and it's practically saturated in those strange waves!"**

"So, another FM-ian's come to try and cause problems, is it? Let's go, War-Rock!"

**"Right!"**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

As Subaru passed through the school's Wave Road, searching for the source, he saw many students and teachers passed out in the classrooms and the halls. Those who weren't passed out looked to be stuck in place, as if they were hypnotized. They certainly seemed to be muttering enough, anyway. When he found a strange looking device that was shaped like a man's head to be the source of the strange waves, he went straight into its core. He tracked down the cause of the abnormal waves. It looked like another monster (shaped like a giant pair of…scales?), so it must have been another…

**"I knew it! Another FM-ian! This one's Libra, the FM-ian of balance! He won't be easy to knock over, kid!"**

"Got it!" And with a cry, he charged at Libra, his left hand transforming into a bright yellow fist-StunKnuckle. The attack just barely missed, as the FM-ian swung its body around, brandishing its scales, and Subaru had to jump back to avoid being hit by them.

"Who dares to interrupt me, Libra Balance?"

"I do! You won't be harming anyone else from now on!" And Subaru immediately charged in with a StrikeEdge card, forcing Libra to fire several Flame and Water Weights to keep him at bay lest he get hit with the electric sword.

"Harm? You're mistaken. The Study Wave will push this school to a new era of academic excellence! The students will have all the necessary information forced into their heads, and their test scores will rise higher, higher, HIGHER! You are attempting to disrupt a most important work!"

At that, Subaru snorted.

"I don't care what your justification is. People out there are suffering and being hurt because of you, so I'm taking you down! Battle Card, Predation! _Wide Wave!"_ Libra Balance found himself on the receiving end of a large blast of water, but he did nothing, Subaru's words making the human inside pause.

"Suffering? I'm hurting them? Impossible…"

**"Careful! You're losing that precious balance of yours!"**

"…I know. But, hurting the students would lose me my job as well…"

Subaru didn't hear what Libra Balance was muttering about, nor did he care to understand. He knew it left an opening to be exploited, however.

"Battle Card, Predation! _Blazing Edge!_" The flaming sword cut into one of Libra Balance's arms, slicing through it completely and causing the bulky FM-ian to lose his balance now that he only held one weight instead of two.

"Heavy Weight!" And Subaru was forced to jump away, lest he get crushed under the large metal weight that had appeared out of midair right over him. He wasn't worried, however. Libra Balance couldn't do much else now, off balance the way he was, and dodging something as obvious as the Heavy Weight attack was easy.

"Battle Card, _Power Bomb!_" The tossed sphere was aimed right for the second arm, and the explosion served to both sever it right at the joint, as well as temporarily blind the now hesitant Libra Balance.

"W-Wait! S-Show me what you meant! What do you mean, I'm hurting them?" His pleas went unheard, as Subaru had already processed the next card.

"Battle Card, _Jet Attack!_" Subaru charged forward, surrounded with bright energy, ramming himself straight into the thin, slender part of Libra Balance's body and breaking him in two. The FM-ian was forcefully separated from the human in the middle of the attack, and both human and alien screamed in pain as they were both driven straight into the control panel. The control panel groaned and sparked under the combined pressure of three bodies and a powerful attack, only harming the two even more.

Libra didn't even last long enough to be interrogated, disintegrating right then and there on the spot. Ikuta-sensei, the teacher who had done the Denpa-Henkan with Libra in the first place, groaned in pain, before he was forcefully expelled from the Comp Space due to Libra's absence. Subaru paid the two no attention, instead immediately working on the control panel for the Study Wave. It had malfunctioned due to his reckless attack, and so the Study Wave's strength had actually been intensified until he was finally able to shut it off roughly a minute afterwards.

He left the Comp Space and the school immediately afterwards. The FM-ian was deleted. That was all that mattered in the end. No need to be worried about any consequences afterwards, it wasn't like he could change anything that had happened, right?

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Ikuta-sensei lay on the floor, unmoving. His arms were numb. His back…it felt like it was broken. At the very least, it hurt like hell, enough that he couldn't move. And he couldn't think. His mind was being hammered, flooded with endless streams of equations, foreign phrases, historical dates and events, and it was coming in much too quickly, there wasn't even time to process what was filling his head! His whole exhausted being was engulfed in doing nothing but trying to assimilate what was being forced into his mind, and it wasn't until the information flood had come to a sudden and complete halt that he was able to regain some semblance of himself. The pain from his injuries could now overwhelm him with full force.

That…that was terrible. He could barely last a minute of it…he had already started to lose himself before he even knew what was happening. And he had done _that_ to his students? Those precious children, who he treasured just as much as his own seven kids? How could he even face them, having done this? How long had they all been put under the Study Wave's influence? Were they even themselves anymore, after having nothing but all this being forced into their minds, hammered into them like they were robots?

He wanted to make sure they were all okay. But he couldn't move. He had lost all sensation in his arms, and they wouldn't respond to any of his efforts. His back ached to the point where it came close to overwhelming him as the Study Wave had done. He could only lie on the floor helplessly, looking up at the ceiling even as he heard one of his students stagger in, weakly sobbing.

It was the class president, Luna. Of course someone with a stubborn will like hers would have been able to fight off at least some of the effects, even if it did look like it had taken a heavy toll on her regardless. She collapsed to her feet just next to his head, sniffling even as she stuttered out her next words.

"W-why, Ikuta-sensei? You always…you always had such great things to say before…you hated l-lecturing t-to us like w-we were r-robots…you'd never do something like t-this! D-Did th-the Study W-wave m-make you sick? Di-did the other t-teachers m-make y-you use it like them? W-why? B-because of that thing…Kizamaro…the other students…everyone is…"

She gave up there, dissolving completely into sobs, and Ikuta-sensei felt absolutely useless and unable to help, only watching the ceiling blearily as he started fading into unconsciousness, the pain and the crying and the suffering echoing in his mind.

_What have I done…?_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Heh, the school's closed?" Subaru's question made his mother look up from over the newspaper she was scanning.

"Mm, yes. It looks like some sort of experimental project-a 'Study Wave' or something like that-went haywire in the school yesterday. Apparently it drove one of the teachers mad, and incapacitated several other students and teachers. Nearly half the school was hospitalized for mild to severe mental trauma and that one teacher also had serious physical injuries that no one can explain…It's a huge scandal. The principal's already been fired for allowing such controversial technology near young children, and he may be put up on criminal charges…The entire building's been shut down to make sure all the dangerous waves are completely clear from the area, but even if it is, no one's really sure if it will open again. So much of the faculty were hospitalized along with the students that the school would be hard-pressed to reopen soon…" Akane stopped reading then, her breath hitching for a brief moment. "Sorry, this is just so terrible…and to think that you could have been one of those students had you still been going…"

"It's okay mom, I understand. Let me read it by myself instead, you're late for your part-time job, aren't you?"

"Ah, I am, actually! Good catch, Subaru! I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Alright, mom…" Subaru watched her leave, before picking up the newspaper his mother had been reading.

"Ne, War-Rock. I thought the humans wouldn't be injured too badly, right? The teacher that was 'driven mad' and 'mysteriously injured,' that's the guy we fought, isn't it?"

**"Most likely. If I had to hazard a guess, it's probably due to the severe damage you inflicted on Libra himself. Cutting off his arms and slicing him in two is a pretty big thing, kid, so there's no way the human wouldn't feel some kind of backlash. Not to mention that they defused during your last attack-"**

"Huh? They did?"

**"Yeah, I didn't notice it at first either. But just when we hit them with that Jet Attack, Libra separated from that teacher's body. We ended up ramming both of them into the control panel. That and I bet he was exposed to the Study Wave for a while before we could shut it off. It's just an extreme case, kiddo, I never expected you to be the type to cause that kind of injury, so I never mentioned it."**

"Hm. But, that force was justified, I guess. That Study Wave, or whatever it was called, looked like it had been on for a long time. You said the whole school was saturated in its waves by the time we spotted it, right?"

**"Yeah, it was."**

"So if we hadn't stopped Libra quickly, things would have gotten worse. Think about what would have happened if it spread to the town!"

**"It came pretty close to doing that, Subaru. You did well yesterday, in terms of taking the initiative."**

"Ah, understood."

And that was that. There was nothing more to be said on the matter.

* * *

**[A/N]: Welp. Subaru's getting more detached. This can't be good.**


	7. Who is the Real Monster?

**[A/N]: Before I get started, I'll answer a few questions from one reviewer since they're anonymous and I can't email them. About the battle cards, well...surprisingly given the fact that this is indeed game-verse, I don't put a lot of focus on the game mechanics themselves. The battles actually have a bit more of an anime-esqe spin to them, mostly because it's easier to visualize the fights that way. So Mega and Giga cards won't really have an appearance here, as well as EX/SP ghosts. And since the first game DOES have instances of the FM-ians being solid/visible in the Wave World, I feel this anime-verse fighting works in the story.**

**And yes, I've skipped the Star Force mini-saga. Considering that whole arc was kicked off by Subaru's BrotherBand with Misora triggering the transmitter in his pendant to contact the Satellite Admins, without that BrotherBand there is no reason for them to contact him. So no Star Force for Subaru.**

**This entire story is already written. There's a total of twelve chapters and three guest interludes. And I must admit, Gabe and I and a few others who were privy to me writing this are actually having a fair amount of laughter at your expense, watching you anticipate what's going to happen. I think it's their little personal satisfaction after not knowing what I was going to write, because I went beyond what Gabe had planned. No offense to you, guys, sadistic glee seems like something that's required to write a story like this.**

**And yes, Gabe and I actually do have rudimentary bare-bones plots for both SF2 and SF3 bad end stories. We haven't gone farther than joking about them, though, because now that I've finished writing Bad End SF1, I want to focus on my Battle Network x Star Force crossover story as well as a new story that I have planned which is basically a Tribe anime season rewrite starting from episode 8. I can't write nothing but tragedy, after all! However...SF2 elements AND SF3 elements will find themselves worming their way into this particular story-and don't worry! There will be justification for this. **

**Now that the Q and A is over, let's get to the Ophicious arc! Wave Battle, Ride On!**

* * *

**_Chapter 5_**

**_Who is the real Monster?_**

Luna had been discharged from the hospital relatively early compared to most of her classmates. The doctors had commented on her "indomitable strength of will" and her "amazing mental fortitude," but she felt none of that strength at the moment. She was alone again.

Gonta was still in the hospital. He had only just recently regained consciousness, and he was still coming to terms with the fact that not only was he the monster that had been breaking red things all over town, but that he had nearly killed his two best friends and would now never walk again. It was slow going for him. But at least he was conscious and thinking now. Kizamaro…she wasn't sure if he'd ever be the same again. He was still unconscious, but a lot of the students who had awakened recently had done nothing but recite formulas and other such nonsense nonstop, as if their brains had been completely overwhelmed and reprogrammed by the intensity of the Study Wave's information discharge. And Kizamaro had fallen unconscious before most of the students as well…his little body couldn't take it. Ah! Would she ever hear him complain about his small stature again? She couldn't stop fretting over either of her two friends. They had been so loyal and encouraging to her, and now she couldn't do a thing to help them…

At least she could visit them. That was something. It was just about time for that…

"It doesn't look like that school will be reopening anytime soon, dear."

"Well, good riddance! That rubbish public school, what were we thinking about, sending our precious little Luna to such an inferior place!"

Those were her mother and father's voices. What were they planning to dictate to her now? Despite knowing how rude it was, and ignoring the dread building in her stomach, she stopped in the middle of the hallway to eavesdrop.

"We should have gone with our original plan. By next week, our precious baby girl will be enrolled in the finest private school we can afford. There will be no room for that ridiculous experimental nonsense or the inferior riffraff that she so foolishly addresses as friends," her father ground out. Luna's throat spasmed, and for a few moments, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. No. _No._

"With the best education, she can get the best job. It really is the best way to happiness for her."

_No, they're wrong! Not that they'd listen to me if I told them that…why do they always do this to me? Why do they direct my life like I'm some sort of puppet?_

She walked out of the house, calmly and quietly, pretending she never heard their conversation about her. She always did this. It was just easier to show them her little mask, stand still and let them dress her like a doll when she was around them. Only outside, with her friends that really accepted her, could she show her weakness, how scared she was to lose those two precious friends.

And now her parents would take her away from them. Just when they needed her support the most.

Just when she needed _them._

As soon as she was far away enough from the condominium complex that they lived in, alone at the bus stop, she screamed and kicked at the ground.

_How dare they! How dare they act like they know exactly what's best for me! How dare they try to take me away from the only people that actually care about me! Those two disgusting people, they just want a little doll to dress up and model after their best desires!_

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" She let out another scream. Usually venting like this made her feel better, but this time the effort left her drained and empty. She knew this time, no matter what, no amount of screaming and kicking would be enough to make her feel okay again. She was going to lose her most precious things, finally submitting to being the perfect little daughter that they wanted her to be. By the beginning of the next week, she'd be alone forever. And there was nothing she could do about it.

_Those people…I hate them!_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Visiting Gonta and Kizamaro was more painful than usual. She felt terrible not telling her friends about what would happen to her, but she couldn't find the strength to say it. Every time Gonta cheered over the basket of snacks she had brought for him (he had no problem with hospital food, but fresh food was always the best!), every time Kizamaro shifted in his sleep, she couldn't bring herself to say that she was leaving them now, at their worst moment. Instead, she scolded Gonta about giving the hospital staff a hard time, and instructed him to keep an eye on Kizamaro for her while she wasn't around, which he agreed to readily.

Then Kizamaro had woken up, and started reciting Shakespearean sonnets nonstop. No matter how much she scolded him, he didn't shape up or snap to attention at all. Eventually the nurses had to administer anesthesia to force him into a medicinal coma, the same as the other patients. She had begged them not to, why would they force him into sleeping again when he had just woken up? Wasn't there a chance they could get him to stop? The nurses simply shook their head no-it wasn't healthy for the brain to be constantly wired into a high rate like these children were. Their brains had been altered by the Study Wave enough that their psyche could have been irrevocably damaged, and it was very well possible that the parents may opt for euthanasia, seeing as it was very unlikely that such deep psychological traumas could have been cured easily or quickly. Most parents just didn't have the money to spend, or the willpower to submit what was left of their child to such a fate with little to no chance for a cure, if there were even any of them left.

She couldn't take it anymore. The rest of her visit was spent consoling Gonta and trying to keep up her firm mask of strength. How could she leave them now? How could her parents make her leave her only friends in this state? If she left now, then Kizamaro…he'd probably be going through his last moments without her, and then what would Gonta do? He was strong and kind, but utterly dependent on her and Kizamaro, even more so after being taken over by that monster. What would he do when he was left all alone?

Once she left the hospital, she found a small corner in its gardens to sink to her feet and sob into her hands.

"Those people…they're nothing but cold, unfeeling monsters! I hate them, I hate them, I hate them…I don't want to be transferred to another school…"

**"Is that so? What if I told you that you could keep them from doing such a thing?"**

Luna froze for a few seconds before she regained composure of herself. Wiping her eyes and fixing on her usual strong mask, the mask of the Class President, she rose and turned to face the meeting that would seal her fate.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru was bored. He had already done all his work, and it wasn't nearly dark enough to be able to watch the stars from Vista Point yet. He had already eliminated all the viruses in the house earlier in the day, so there wasn't anything to fight at the moment. There wasn't anything good on the television either, so he simply was flipping through the channels for the sake of doing something.

**"Ne, Subaru, go back a few channels."**

"Eh? Why?"

**"Just do it! I think I saw something…"**

"Alright…" He did as told, until he saw the news program-breaking news, apparently?

**"That's it, kiddo. Keep it there."** And that had Subaru confused. War-Rock wasn't usually fond of things like news; he claimed the shows to be dull and boring. Maybe it was the scenes of destruction he was seeing behind the frantic reporter that captivated the alien.

_"We're here outside the snake exhibit on the roof of Yashibu Town's largest department store, where the snakes are exhibiting very strange behavior! They have suddenly broken out from their habitats in a coordinated fashion and have started cornering humans! It looks like they're being directed by some sort of snake monster woman-"_

The reporter then let out a scream as he was set upon by two green snakes and collapsed to the ground. Quick work by the cameraman revealed the "snake monster woman" cackling on the roof, firing more green snakes from seemingly nowhere.

_"Snake Legion!"_

"War-Rock? Is that-?"

**"Aah, that's an FM-ian alright. Looks like Ophiuchus. She can control snakes, as you can see."**

"We have to get over there, War-Rock!"

**"Of course! But do you know where that is?"**

"I'll look it up before we go, but hopefully it's close enough that we can get there quickly!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

They weren't able to get to Yashibu as quickly as Subaru had hoped, but they were there. Already there were several people either unconscious or in pain because of venomous bites, but Subaru ignored them. Medical personnel could take care of those people; it wasn't like he knew any treatments. Instead, he quickly transformed once he could get out of sight and made his way up to the snake exhibit.

There, he was greeted by the gruesome sight of two dead corpses, both wrapped up tightly by large constrictor snakes. It looked as if they were freshly dead, the bodies still warm.

"Keep squeezing those two foul monsters, my darling snakes! Make them know my pain tenfold!"

Why were all of the people who were possessed insane? Did they really have that big of a hole in their hearts? Or maybe it was being fused with the FM-ian that made them this way. Subaru didn't know. And he didn't care. He knew there was no point in pointing out the futility of inflicting pain on dead bodies; instead he launched a Fire Ring at Ophiuchus, hoping to end the battle quickly before she realized he was there.

Unfortunately, she noticed the blazing wheel early enough to destroy it with beams of light from her eyes, before sending out more green snakes to flush him out of the heavily wooded snake habitats.

"So, the traitor, War-Rock, is here."

**"Ophiuchus! I was wondering when you'd show up!"**

"Now, now, I didn't come here to fight you, you know! Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't leave the FM King sooner!"

**"What are you trying to imply, Ophiuchus?"**

"For one thing, I'm Ophiuchus Queen, now. As for your question, well, we all know that the FM King is a weak-willed fool. It'd be easy to unseat him from power, especially now since you hold the Andromeda Key. Team up with me, and I can easily charm the FM King into giving up the controller for Andromeda, and with both the key and the controller, we can easily rule over both Planet FM and Earth! It'll save us both the trouble of you getting deleted, you know."

**"Hmph! I'm not interested in that sort of thing. I'm just interested in my own vengeance against the FM King. You can just take your offer and feed it to your snakes!"**

"Ah, and that's your final answer, I see. What a shame. I expect I'll just have to delete you and take the key for myself!"

"That isn't going to happen! Battle Card, _Fire Bazooka!_"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The battle was difficult. Ophiuchus Queen was in her element here, amongst the woods and the many snakes at her command. The nasty little buggers were efficient distractions, particularly the venomous ones. It took Subaru finally deciding to just set the entire exhibit on fire with several deliberately aimed Fire Rings and Bazookas for him to finally gain an advantage over her, which resulted in him killing most, if not all of the snakes, trapping several people within the flames, and obliterating the carefully crafted habitats. He didn't focus on that, however, instead he continued to relentlessly attack Ophiuchus, who was weakened by the change in environment and now at a severe disadvantage. The fire eventually forced Ophiuchus Queen to flee, threatening to take her human host with her, but Subaru wouldn't have any of that.

He chased after her all throughout the store building, but it wasn't until they reached the back of the building that he managed to subdue her by hitting her straight in the back of the head with a Power Bomb. While she was stunned, Subaru caught up to her, grabbing her by the neck and holding her up for inspection.

"No point in letting her stay around for an interrogation, is there, War-Rock? We already know all she has to say."

**"Aaa, you're right about that."**

"Fine then. Battle Card, Predation! _Blazing Edge!_"

Ophiuchus Queen was impaled by the fiery sword before she even had time to scream. A flash of purple light later, Subaru was left with the unconscious Luna held up only by his hand on her uniform collar as the disintegrated remains of Ophiuchus glinted in the sun before completely vanishing.

Subaru carelessly tossed Luna's unconscious body aside, not bothering to wait for her to awaken, nor going back up to put out the flames he had started. They had already managed to get the fire under control by the time he had chased Ophiuchus Queen out of the exhibit, it would probably be put out by the time he got back, anyway. Him showing up there would probably make things worse, anyway, it always did. There was no need to get involved with more people than necessary.

It was just better to go home. So go home he did.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Luna woke up feeling heat on her face. When she struggled to her feet and looked up, her eyes widened in horror. The entire building in front of her was engulfed in flames. She stared at them, transfixed by the dancing shadows of the fire. The longer she stared, the more she felt memories stir within her before suddenly…

Her parents' glassy eyes as they looked up at her, their last breaths having been squeezed mercilessly from their bodies. Their pleas for her to stop, looking up at her with fear and worry _and love_, which she responded to with cackling and ordering the snakes to squeeze harder. Sending the snakes out to injure, maim, and kill others while she watched her parents struggle to breathe, listening to their bones crack under pressure, relishing in their pain even as they begged for their precious little girl to return to them. Their corpses, starting to burn in that heated field of battle, now probably reduced to nothing but charred, stinking flesh.

"N-no…" Her legs shook, threatening to collapse under her. "No…I didn't…I didn't want them to…" Dry sobs wracked her body, she had already used up all her tears before meeting Ophiuchus. "H-how could I…"

She wished that the blue-clad boy that had fought her monstrous form had killed her. She couldn't live with herself, having done this. She wanted to see her parents again, tell them how sorry she was. She just wanted them to know how she felt. She didn't want them to…to…

Luna took one step towards the burning building. Then another. And another.

Then she found herself rooted to the ground in fear. She wasn't strong enough to take another step forward, to do what needed to be done. How could she atone for her sins when she couldn't…

She was never strong enough. She knew that. That was why she had found those precious friends in the first place, precious friends who would have stood by her through anything. But she ended up only bringing them pain-if she hadn't threatened to cut Gonta's BrotherBand with her, he wouldn't have been taken over by that monster, if she had been strong enough to snap Kizamaro out of that mental state, his parents wouldn't have been stuck debating on whether to mercifully end his life or not…She was weak. Too weak to admit that she really did love her parents under all that rage and sorrow until it was too late, too weak to simply just _talk_ to them, let them see the real her and get them to accept her as she was. Too weak to deserve to live. She should die.

She took another step towards the building, then stopped and fled from the scene. She couldn't do it. She wasn't strong. She wasn't brave. She couldn't support her own strength, so how could she even think about supporting others?

She couldn't go back. Not after what she had done. And she couldn't do what was necessary to set things right. All she could do was wait for her karma to catch up with her in some way, wait for her inevitable end.

Shirogane Luna was now completely and utterly alone.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru watched the news of the day, and was mildly surprised to see that the department store, in fact, had _not_ managed to keep the fires under control. It had spread to the entirety of the building before firefighters were able to beat the flames back. Only the first floor was remotely salvageable.

"Heh, so they didn't manage to put it out, after all…"

**"You're not worried about that, are you, Subaru?"**

"Not really…all we really were there for was to defeat the FM-ian. We did that, so everything else should be fine. None of my Aqua element cards would have been strong enough to put out the flames, anyway, if it spread as much as they say it did by the time our fight was over."

**"Maa, maa, that's true. Still, it's pretty unlike you to be so blasé about it. You haven't been moping around as much as you usually do after something like this happens because of our fights."**

"Mmn. I guess I've just come to accept that these sorts of accidents happen, I guess. I can't really control it, and I'm pretty resigned to something bad happening every time a fight happens. I have other things to worry about other than things I can't control, I guess."

**"Heh. You're sounding more and more like a grown-up warrior after these fights, I see."** Still, War-Rock couldn't help but worry. Was it really natural for a human to stop showing emotion so quickly? He didn't know humans well enough to figure it out, but something about Subaru's increasing detachedness made him feel uneasy.

Still, as long as they were winning fights and doing well in battles, it should all work out, or so War-Rock hoped.

* * *

**[A/N]: This is the first chapter that really gets into the FM-ian's victim's head, and I don't really regret the added length. I'm not really sure _why_ Luna gripped me the way she did and demanded me to write her, but it was a good way to show how the changed events have affected other people around Subaru, especially since we haven't really heard from Luna and her trio for a while. **

**And yes, Subaru is starting to care less and less about the consequences of his actions. While this makes his battles more effective, well...You see what happened. The chapter title really is a legitimate question, no?**

**Next chapter will come in roughly one or two days! **


	8. What You Should Have Believed In

**[A/N]: Right, time for the Gemini Arc! Even in canon, this particular arc caused Subaru to take some large steps backward in his development. How will it affect _this_ Subaru now? Let's find out!**

* * *

**_Chapter 6_**

**_What You Should Have Believed In_**

Tsukasa looked out at the junk heaps of Dream Island's junkyard, not really seeing them. Usually when he was here, he would sometimes try to guess at which area specifically he was left as a baby, but the effort usually just left him dispirited and miserable, and really only served to give Hikaru more fuel for his own vengeful agenda.

These days, however, he found he didn't have much energy to do much of anything. For the longest time, he had held out against Hikaru's wishes. After all, he was the part that separated from him to take all the miserable feelings and hurt that he couldn't take anymore, right? It was natural to not want to listen to his bitter vitriol, to look for all the good things he could find. But for every good thing he found, Hikaru found some way that it was simply some false veneer that would eventually fade away to reveal all the ugliness of the world. Flowers withered and died. Youth and beauty gave away to ugliness and old age. Delicious foods left one craving more even when there wasn't anything left. Beautiful utopias created mounds of trash to be discarded. There was never anything good that didn't decay to evil at some point. But surely, Tsukasa argued, surely there could be some good even within bad? There had to be. He kept desperately searching his whole life for something that could prove Hikaru wrong.

And for a long time, he had pinned his hopes on Hoshikawa Subaru.

Oh, the boy didn't know how long Tsukasa had wondered about him, ever since his first day in class 5-A, and the boy was never around for attendance. Nor was he around the day after that, or for any school days afterwards. What sort of kid was he? He listened to rumors, hearing about how this was his third year of not attending school and home-schooling himself instead, ever since that famed satellite tragedy. The disappearance of the space station Peace was Kodama Town's claim to fifteen minutes of fame, as one of its astronauts, Hoshikawa Daigo, was from that small town, and so everybody knew of it and how it had affected the remaining family. Everyone knew about why Subaru never attended school anymore, but there were still rumors about what he was really like. He never interacted with anyone his own age if he could help it, so there were rumors of him being a loner or a juvenile delinquent, among other things. If only Tsukasa knew of Subaru's real mental state, then maybe…maybe he could be right for once, that there could be some persisting good in the world.

Then Gemini came along. And oh, how tempting his ideas of power and destruction were. He would have agreed to go along with it right away, if only he was certain about Subaru. It didn't help that Hikaru was all for the idea, so now he constantly had both Gemini and Hikaru on his case, putting pressure on him to simply break down and join them in the glorious revenge on this terrible planet. Gemini informed him that Subaru had an FM-ian with him as well, War-Rock the traitor. And that gave Tsukasa more hope. He did have that hole in his heart to be filled, just like him. As they observed his battles, Tsukasa grew more hopeful. It was apparent that Subaru had not simply allowed War-Rock to take over, like the other humans. He was more like him and Hikaru and Gemini…they were in a mutual partnership, they both kept their own head. Maybe he did have the strength of character that could result in him keeping some semblance of goodness, some sort of hope.

And then his hopes came crashing down. Subaru was reserved and harbored bitterness towards making bonds with others. He didn't seem to have any hopes for a better future, either, nothing like what Tsukasa held. Maybe that was for the best? It certainly seemed to save him the extra heartache that Tsukasa had to deal with now.

_"Hey."_ And Tsukasa winced at the new voice in his head. Of course Hikaru would want to make his wishes known now, when he felt at his lowest. He closed his eyes, willing himself into a meditative state so he could speak with his other, darker half.

_"What?"_

_"You should talk to him again."_

Tsukasa started in surprise. Why would Hikaru want to make him talk to Subaru again, after his point was proven? He and Gemini had been trying so long to make him give up on the other boy, so now why would he want to give Subaru a second chance? Unless…

_"Do you just want to rub your victory in my face? Is that it? Are you looking for more proof, Hikaru?"_

He only got a laugh in response at first.

_"Kind of, yeah. You know me so well, but then, why wouldn't you?"_ More laughter. _"Actually, I want to have a chat with him. I think I can see why you wanted to talk with him so much, he's actually kinda interesting!"_

If Tsukasa was his usual self, that statement would have alarm bells ringing in his mind. _Hikaru_ finding another person interesting? Hikaru _hated_ other people. If he found somebody interesting, there couldn't be anything good in it. But as it was, he just felt so tired of being wary of Hikaru and what his other half could be planning. Wary wasn't his thing, anyway, he would much rather be openly trusting if Hikaru would let him get away with it. He was tired of putting up a resistance when it would just keep being battered down. He was tired of looking for things that he could never find. And there was still a small, feeble part of him that wanted to give Subaru a second chance. Maybe talking with Hikaru would be the real test for him. Maybe Subaru could still possibly be a chance at salvation after all.

_"Mmm…fine then. You can go talk with him…"_

And he was just so _tired_…

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru was watching the stars at Vista Point when he heard footsteps coming towards him. He hoped to ignore them, but the fact was that nobody came up to Vista Point this late other than him, so there was something to be wary about. With a sigh, he reluctantly tore his eyes away from the inky black sky and turned to face…somebody.

He felt like he should have remembered them. Oh, he remembered the green hair and the far-too-girlish appearance of this person. And he remembered that they wanted to befriend him. But for the life of him, he couldn't remember the name. He hadn't bothered to try to commit this person to memory at all-after all, he wasn't interested in making bonds with other people, was he? It would have been easier for him if he had just forgotten this person entirely. But the encounter was still too new, too fresh in his mind to simply be forgotten, and so simply his reappearance was enough to remember that much, at least. But he still couldn't remember a name…and yet, he had to respond with something. After all, this person had sought him out again, for some apparent reason.

"…You."

And the other person smirked, something that just felt off compared to previous recollection of the almost shy attitude he had during their last encounter.

"Not quite."

What did that mean? He looked the same…

"…Twins?"

"Almost."

This was getting frustrating. Couldn't they just get straight to the point so they could get this over with, and he could forget about him already?

"What do you want?" And the other person shrugged.

"You're interesting." Subaru scowled at that response.

"I thought I told you-or your brother, or whatever-that I wasn't interested in making friends."

"I know. That's why you're interesting." This got a raised eyebrow from Subaru. Didn't his response make the other boy dejected last time? Why would his…brother (?)...apparently be interested?

"I'm afraid I don't understand, but I can't say that I'm interested." At that, he heard War-Rock's voice rumble from his Transer.

**"Careful, kid. It's the same guy, but his wave patterns are completely different. Either he had a real personality change, or there's more than one of him…"**

"Your little friend there has it halfway right, at least." And Subaru jumped.

"You can-?"

"Well of course, I know about him. I've got a little partner of my own." At that, Subaru tensed, ready to fight off whatever attack this guy was planning, before he realized that he was _laughing_.

"Don't worry, don't worry! Gemini and I aren't interested in attacking you…yet."

**"Gemini!"** War-Rock's voice came out in a startled growl. **"Kid, you'd better be careful. Gemini's the right-hand man to the FM King himself; and he's got a silver tongue to back up that strength of his as well!"**

**"My, my, War-Rock, I didn't think you thought so highly of me. I could almost blush at those compliments."** Subaru jumped, he wasn't ready to hear the other FM-ian before he was able to process what War-Rock had told him. Being confronted so suddenly…

"If you two really don't want to attack-and I have a hard time believing that-what are you here for?"

"A deal." Subaru narrowed his eyes at the other boy, prompting the other to explain. "You see, Gemini here doesn't actually _like_ the FM King at all, he's really just as fond of him as War-Rock is…"

**"Well, that's news to me, really."** War-Rock's voice was laced with sarcasm. **"Honestly, with all of your slippery words around him, I had doubts about how loyal you really were. But to speak with me, a traitor, about it? What do you want, Gemini?"**

**"It's not really what about what _I_ want, War-Rock. It's really all about what Hikaru here wants. You see, he and I are in this together, just like you and your human companion. We have a bit of a…mutual agreement."** Hikaru grinned.

"Yep. You see, Gemini and I would really like to see this world burn. And we think you'd like that too, Subaru. So maybe, you and War-Rock would like to work with us?"

At that, Subaru instantly recoiled, his face settling into a scowl.

"What makes you think I want anything like _that?_ In case you haven't noticed, War-Rock and I have been fighting _against_ the rest of you trying to destroy this world!"

"Yeah, but in the end, isn't it really all just self-defense? They're coming after you and the Andromeda Key that War-Rock holds, after all. Your fights cause just as much destruction that the FM-ians themselves cause…in fact, they cause more! And you don't even bat an eye towards it all, you just up and leave when your fight is over, and you don't even have any remorse or feelings towards all the pain and suffering that you helped cause! Admit it! You're just like me. You don't have any hopes for a better future for people. You don't want to make any friends with other people because those friendships will just cause pain. You don't care if they suffer and feel pain because they would have felt it anyway, with or without your interference. That's why you don't bother to clean up your own messes or help any more than necessary, because frankly, there _is_ no good in it!

"That's why you should work with us, not against us! Gemini and I don't really feel anything for this pathetic planet, and the FM King is just as bad! So if you join up with us, we can easily get you close to the FM King, enough for you to get your revenge, War-Rock, and you won't have to deal with this planet and its useless people any more than you _have_ to, Subaru!"

**"O-oi, Subaru!"** War-Rock was unnerved by his human companion's silence. He would have expected an objection, a denial, an interruption. Anything to quell this unease he felt at Gemini's and Hikaru's proclamation. Gemini was a two-timing bastard in his own right, and he wouldn't have trusted anything that came out of his or his human's mouth in the first place. But hearing that vicious little kid comparing himself to Subaru just added a whole other feeling of wrongness to this scenario. _And why wasn't Subaru saying anything?_

There was a minute of silence before Subaru finally responded.

"If…If we're as alike as you say…" And here, Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to team up with anyone, _especially_ you and Gemini?"

More silence, before Hikaru finally broke it with another round of laughter. Subaru said nothing, only watching as Hikaru doubled over, holding his stomach before replying, mirth in his eyes.

"Oh. Oh! I was right, you _are _interesting!" He continued to laugh, before holding up his Transer, and as Gemini vanished into it, Subaru immediately tensed. _"Denpa-Henkan!"_

Subaru stepped back as not one, but two monsters materialized in front of him, both shockingly humanlike in appearance. One wore a white suit with a golden robotic left arm, while the other wore black with a golden robotic right, but they both clearly wore Gemini's insignia on their chests; and other than their clearly different facial expressions, they looked completely alike.

"Come meet us over in the Dream Island junkyard, why don't you? We can finish our…chat…there," the black one stated, his amused smirk identifying him clearly as Hikaru. The two both vanished, but not before the white one gave him a dejected, almost disappointed glance before looking down at the ground.

It almost looked like the way that the green haired kid-Hikaru's brother? Was he a brother, really?-had acted the first time he had rejected his offer of friendship.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Subaru made his way to Dream Island as he was told, but not before preparing as much as he could. Gemini was too dangerous to be left alone, but he also was crafty and could easily have prepared a trap. Indeed, Subaru found himself facing several of Gemini's lackeys who had seen it fit to interrupt his progress, and defeating them took more time than he liked. But finally, he had made it to where the Geminis were waiting for him, ready to fight. As they leaped into battle, Subaru belatedly realized over time that they were evenly matched, and despite that, there had been _no_ traps scattered around the junkyard to hinder him during the battle other than the meager attempts at stalling (and as it turned out, Gemini Black was particularly annoyed at the possibility that they weren't fighting on equal terms).

_So why were they fighting here?_ During yet another stalemate, as he crossed swords with both of them, he posed that very question. They leapt apart at that, and the sense that there was a temporary truce until this question was answered passed between the three of them.

"Oh, this?" said the black Gemini. "This place is very special to us. It was where we were left behind, you see, like worthless garbage." At that, Subaru recoiled in disgust. How could people do something like that? The black Gemini only laughed at his reaction.

"I see your disgusted face. I know what you're thinking. _'Why?'_ We'd like to know ourselves? Why us? Why leave us behind, while we were just a simple, helpless baby?"

_Simple, helpless **baby**? Didn't he mean-_

"Oh no, you didn't hear wrong. I said _baby_. You see, Tsukasa and I were supposed to be whole and unbroken. But this world decided that it wasn't ugly enough, decided to expose its true self to us before we were even old enough to comprehend it. Tsukasa here, well, he had a hard life. So hard, in fact, that he broke and made me."

His first thought was a belated realization that the name of the boy he had disappointed was Tsukasa, and that he had been talking to the same person the whole time after all, rather than a brother. His second thought was that it was no wonder that Hikaru, at least, hated the world as much as he did. Hikaru was something foul and angry, something that shouldn't have existed, and yet he did. And since he existed, he wanted to continue existing even when he knew he was something vile, something against nature. But then…

"If Tsukasa here had it so rough…then why? Why did you bother approaching me? Why did you ask about me, try to befriend me? _Why?_"

At that, Tsukasa-who Subaru had belatedly realized was the white Gemini-adopted a tired, worn expression. His eyes looked ready to well up into tears, and in fact they did. Stray tears escaped his eyes, streaming down his face as he yelled back, anguish in every syllable.

"Was it wrong? Is it really so bad just to hope? Can't I just look for the good in something, anything, without finding that it's really vile and disgusting? Can't I place my hope in somebody? I…I wanted to believe that my darker feelings, that _Hikaru_ was wrong! I don't want to lose my faith that there's something to look forward to in this terrible world! _Are you saying that I can't?_"

There was silence. A dead, empty, unfeeling sort of silence. Something needed to be said to shatter it. But nobody could find the words, not at first. The black Gemini looked disgusted, dismissive, and he turned away. Subaru was staring forward, unseeing. The white Gemini was looking down at the ground.

"You…" And the white Gemini looked up, a brief glimmer of hope crossing his face as Subaru started to talk.

"There are…many things you could have believed in. There's nothing stopping you from believing what you want..." More silence. It felt like something important was hinging on Subaru's next few words, but the three Denpa-Humans couldn't tell what. The tension in the air was thick, and heavy. It weighed down on them all, and Subaru found it difficult to say his next words.

"But you shouldn't have believed in me." And that was that. Something broke, and an air of finality settled over them all, even as he continued talking. "I'm not strong enough to support somebody, anybody else. That's why I don't need friendships. It would have been easier for you…if you hadn't believed that I was. Then you wouldn't have to feel this pain…"

The white Gemini felt something white-hot flash through him at those words. What was this sensation? Was it rage? Despair? Grief? He didn't know. All he knew was that it was something he wished he never had felt. This feeling, whatever it was…he knew it meant he had given up. That he had finally accepted Hikaru's words. There was no more reason to hope. There was no more reason for him to fight. All he could do was follow Hikaru's wishes, because in the end, he was part of Hikaru, and Hikaru was part of him.

And Hikaru hated this world and wanted to see it gone.

"F-fine then…" The white Gemini's voice shook with an awful finality even as he wiped his face clean of tears. "Fine. That's it. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of waiting and hoping for something that will never come. I can't do this anymore." He stood rigid, and looked away from the ground, instead glaring straight at Subaru with an almost desperate sort of determination.

"I am Gemini Spark White, and I _will_ get the Andromeda Key from you! _I'll end this world myself!_"

At that, the black Gemini grinned, and focused on Subaru as well, standing in an almost relaxed, casual position in contrast to Gemini White's stiff stance.

"And I am Gemini Spark Black, and the only reason he won't get the Andromeda Key is if _I_ get it first!"

Subaru stood firm, just as unwavering as either of them.

"And I…I am…Rockman! I don't care what your reasons are, or why you have them…I won't let you get your hands on this key!"

And on some unspoken signal, they all dashed at each other, knowing that now the true fight between them had begun.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The silence was deafening. The only sound that punctuated it was the sound of Rockman's heavy breathing as he stood over the two Geminis that lay at his feet, beaten and battered.

"Battle Card…_ArboEdge._" He walked up to them, brandishing the sword that swirled with the green energy of the earth. He raised his arm up to strike…

"Yeah, that's it. Kill us, if you _dare_," Gemini Black hissed, his lips curling up into a smirk even as he lay on top of Gemini White's body, unable to do anything but taunt the blue clad warrior. Rockman only raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, knowing that there was something there, and demanding an answer. Gemini Black only chuckled weakly before responding.

"Gemini and us…we've been together for so long, you know. Our bodies are connected. Frankly…if you kill him, you're gonna kill us as well." Another laugh. "That shouldn't be a problem for you, should it? After all, you've already condemned other humans to being crippled for life, mentally deranged, dead by simply being in the wrong place in the wrong time…oh! You haven't actually killed a person outright before, have you? Just destroy the FM-ian and be on your merry way, is it?" Gemini Black's body convulsed into weak laughter once more. "Then again, it's not so different, is it? It's not that big of a step between causing the events that caused the death, and causing the death yourself, is it? It all results in the same anyway. Just another ugly fact of this cruel world, isn't it?"

Rockman tried to pay little attention to what Gemini Black was saying. Instead he listened for War-Rock's voice, telling him that what the deceitful Gemini was saying was wrong.

**"…He's right, kiddo. I don't like agreeing with this slimeball, but he's right. They've been together long enough, and for the last few minutes of our fight, right after that conversation…they became completely bound to each other. They wholeheartedly agreed that they wanted the same thing, that they had the same purpose. When that happened, Gemini completely and utterly filled in the hole in this human's heart, and became part of it. You can't kill him without killing the human, I'm afraid."**

"Hm."

"Is that really all you have to say about it, huh?" And Gemini Black laughed yet again. "Well?"

"I've had enough of your nonsense." And abruptly, Gemini Black found his laughter cut off as the green sword pierced straight through his chest, impaling Gemini White under him as well. Their bodies were hefted up, sliding down the sword like a hunk of meat on a butcher's rack.

"If I have to kill you to get through to Gemini, I'll do it. As long as he isn't around to threaten anything else, it'll be fine, won't it?" The words were said with a completely dull and unfeeling tone, and with that, everyone there knew his decision was final.

There was a choking, guttural sound, and the two bodies impaled on the sword were engulfed in a bright yellow light, leaving a single, very much human body hanging limply from the blade. Hikaru looked up, meeting Rockman's eyes, and smirked.

"You wanted this." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, well, maybe," Hikaru rasped, blood now leaking from his mouth. "Existing as an incomplete being…it's a pain, you know? Knowing that you're not supposed to exist, but you want to live anyway. _Things_ like us…we're only around to create misery for others. Just like everything else in this disgusting world." A cackle. "Everything eventually leads to some sort of pain in the world, so what difference would us being or not being here would make? Frankly, all Gemini was to us was a chance to make a little more of it, leave an impact, you know? Maybe then we'd actually _mean_ something."

"Hmph. Whatever you wanted, or whatever you were feeling, it's over now. Be happy for that, if nothing else."

And with that, he threw the body off the sword, watching without emotion as it crashed into one of the many junk piles below. The body rolled limply down the steep slope before coming to rest in a small ditch, nestled in between two mounds of trash.

The expression on the face was gentle, Rockman noted. Tsukasa, then. The expression looked peaceful as well. He'd wanted this too, not just his insane other half. So this was what the difference between life and death was. Either one continued to suffer, to grieve, or they would no longer feel anything at all. He never would have thought to see it that way.

If he had to thank Tsukasa and Hikaru for one thing, it would be for allowing him to see this revelation.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The uneasiness was back. War-Rock admitted, now he knew something wasn't right. He had seen other humans' reactions to death, after all. Subaru's mother got worried, and people in that store had screamed and cried when they saw death approaching them and others. It was the same as FM-ians, really, Cygnus had begged for his life, Ophiuchus had fled in an attempt to avoid it, and the others went down screaming.

So why did Subaru not seem to show any emotion at all?

He had come home late, worrying his mother excessively until he had managed to convince her that he had simply lost track of time watching the stars. Throughout the evening, he had said nothing, simply looking lost in thought. War-Rock wanted to tell himself that maybe the kid was grieving internally, or that maybe the impact hadn't affected him at all. After all, even War-Rock, as a hardened soldier of the Planet FM, had needed time to steady himself after his first kill. It was a reasonable assumption, right, thinking that the kid just needed some time to himself to think? It was, but…

"War-Rock?" Ah, he spoke. And it sounded like he usually did when he wanted to ask the alien a question. It was uncertain, deferential, looking up to him for an answer. Maybe things were okay after all.

**"Yeah, kid?"**

"What…what did you think about today?" Ah, so the kid didn't know what to think, was it? Yep, things were fine.

**"Well…I can honestly say that it was different from the rest of our fights, kiddo. I told you Gemini was a sly one. But you proved that you were willing to do whatever it took to achieve your goals, so that's something good that came out of it."**

"To do whatever it took to achieve my goals…mmm." Subaru looked lost in thought again, and War-Rock deemed it safe to look away, close the lid of the Transer and leave the kiddo to his own thoughts. The kid needed time to sort this out. It was a long time before either of them spoke again.

"Ne, War-Rock."

Why did that sense of unease come back again? It was just another innocent question, right? Even so, he felt apprehensive for some reason, and it showed when he opened the lid of the Transer to talk again.

**"W-what?"**

There was reason for the stutter. The kiddo's face had changed. The twisted smirk was something unrecognizable, something that he shouldn't have made at all.

"Give me the Andromeda Key."

* * *

**[A/N]: And here comes...the canon split. From here on out, things take a turn for the worse. And by worse, I mean _a lot_ worse. **

**Yep.**

**Anyways, until next time!**


	9. Do All You Can to Achieve Your Goals

**[A/N]: This chapter's coming in early, partly because tomorrow we'll be preparing for a party and so I won't be around much tomorrow to post it, and partly because this chapter's pretty short compared to the rest of the chapters that will be coming. Think of it as something to whet your teeth on.**

**Also, from here on out, none of this is Gabe's plot anymore. His idea had pretty much stemmed from the end of Chapter 6 and he built it backwards from those last lines. So from here on out is purely my own plotting, and if you don't like the direction that it goes, you can feel free to blame it on me and just count up to Chapter 6 as official "canon" for the Bad End (well, at least I count it as "official canon" since it's Gabe's idea in the end). It pretty much just goes downhill from here guys, so buckle up!**

* * *

**_Chapter 7_**

**_Do All You Can to Achieve Your Goals_**

**_"What?"_** War-Rock couldn't believe what he was hearing. The kid barely knew about the Andromeda Key, only that it was powerful and that others were after it, and whatever other tidbits the other FM-ians had dropped. Why was he suddenly so interested in it?

"Give me the Andromeda Key." It was repeated with a slight hint of impatience, the first emotion that Subaru had let into his voice since they had defeated the Gemini Sparks.

**"Why should I give it to you!"** War-Rock had to stall. He had to figure out what was going on with Subaru. When had he changed? Why? **"You barely know anything about the Andromeda or the Key itself, and suddenly you want your hands on it? What's your reason?"**

"I know enough. The Andromeda has enough power to destroy Earth, doesn't it? And it needs your key and the King's controller to work…but the key itself has plenty of power, doesn't it? It needs it, in order to be able to jump start Andromeda, after all…"

**"I thought you weren't interested in destroying the Earth,"** War-Rock interrupted, his tone apprehensive. **"You said it yourself; you were fighting with me to prevent that."**

"No…I think Gemini Black…ah, Hikaru…got something right, there. It was all really self-defense. The only reason I joined up with you in the first place was because we both needed something from each other. But…" And here, Subaru leaned back, stretching. "There really isn't anything worth protecting, is there? I don't really have that much attachment to anything in this world. Those attachments just cause pain. But almost everyone else does, you see. And that's the problem." War-Rock found himself involuntarily recoiling as Subaru smiled that odd, sick smirk yet again, that expression that just didn't fit on his face and yet did.

"Everyone keeps struggling to live, to survive, to make bonds and seek out desires that only cause suffering in the end…when you think about life that way, then Andromeda…it's a savior, isn't it, instead of something to be feared?"

That was it. He had it. War-Rock finally knew why he had been feeling uneasy these past few weeks with the kiddo. Subaru had slowly been losing it, and he had never realized. Or rather, he did, but he kept making excuses, because things had been going so well. How…how had a young human gone from only fighting because he was curious about his father to wanting to destroy his own home planet in some misguided attempt of saving it?

**"That's it, kiddo! I've heard enough!"** And with that, War-Rock quickly escaped from the Transer, forcing Subaru to put on his Visualizer to spot him. **"The times we had together were pretty good, kid, but I can't hang around if you're gonna act like this!"** Sure, War-Rock did have his morals skewed a bit. It came with the territory of being a proud soldier of Planet FM, and one that was out for revenge against FM's ruler at that. But he drew the line at blowing up planets. Most sane beings would. Without another word, War-Rock turned to leave.

He had nearly made it out of the room's window when he felt an electric attack strike him in the back. With a yell of pain, he felt its paralyzing effects take hold, making his body numb. He sank onto the floor next to Subaru's bed, and he struggled against the paralysis even as he heard Subaru's footsteps walk up the stairs to his bed. Looking up, he saw Subaru holding his Transer up, as well as several Battle Cards, and belatedly realized that as a denpa being, those cards still affected him…even more so, since these particular cards had been powered up by his own abilities on multiple occasions. It looked like Subaru had just used a Thunderball card to subdue him.

"Ah, but you are going to hang around, War-Rock. We're partners, remember?" War-Rock heard the creak of the bed as Subaru sat down, right next to where he was still paralyzed. He thought he felt the effects wearing off right now…if he could push himself up, he could…

"Battle Card, _Strike Edge._" War-Rock let out another scream of pain as an electric sword appeared right above him and drove itself right into his chest. He felt the numbness settling in again, and he realized that as long as the kiddo had his Transer and his Battle Cards, he could keep War-Rock subdued as long as he needed.

"And you are going to tell me what you know, including where you hid the Andromeda Key, because we're partners, of course!"

It was really disturbing how much Subaru sounded like his previous naïve self when he said that.

**"T…tch…if your father saw this…"** He didn't really know what Daigo would have felt. But it wouldn't have been a good emotion, he knew that. Anger? Or sorrow, maybe? The thought did seem to distract Subaru a bit, and for a moment, War-Rock felt a faint glimmer of hope.

"Oh, tousan? You never did tell me about him, War-Rock. How _did_ you know him?" It did distract him! Maybe, if he kept talking until this paralysis wore off…

**"I…I was the jailkeeper after the FM King had his troops attack their space station, and had them sentenced to death. They had been attempting to propose a BrotherBand between Earth and Planet FM, but the FM King saw it as a threat of invasion, and he sentenced them accordingly…I was charged with keeping an eye on them until their sentence was carried out. Your father always kept prying into my business…when I stole the Andromeda Key and escaped, he insisted I help them out too. So I turned him and the crew into denpa lifeforms like me, so they could escape, but…Taurus attacked just then. I lost him. He had sent a signal to your Transer, and I followed it when I happened upon it, but I don't think Daigo found it, or he'd be home by now. He's probably still wandering around in space, lost…"**

"So that's how it is…" Subaru sounded like his old self again. He looked lost in thought. And War-Rock could move. Slowly, carefully, he got up, and moved to sneak towards the window again. He had just made it, when…

"Poor tousan, stuck alone in space like that…it's a big place, isn't it, War-Rock? What a long time to be wandering around lost. I guess I'll just have to kill him too, when I find him."

At that, War-Rock froze. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Despite his instincts screaming at him to run, to flee, to get out before things got worse, he turned back. He had to know that he wasn't hearing things.

**"W…what?"**

"It makes sense, doesn't it? He's stuck alone, and suffering, and he doesn't know how to get home, and he'll probably go mad up there by himself. It would be kinder to just kill him, if that was possible. Really, War-Rock, I appreciate the effort you went through for him, but wouldn't it have been kinder to just let him die? Now look what you've sentenced him to."

**"Kiddo…you…"**

"Oh, right…Battle Card: _Plasma Gun!_" And whatever chance War-Rock had was gone. He was back to square one, only lying down on his back this time, but still paralyzed either way. "That was a good story, War-Rock, and I thank you for that, but you didn't tell me about the key…"

**"I'm not telling you anything, kiddo! Figure it out yourself if you're that desperate!"** In reality, War-Rock knew very well that he was the desperate one, scrambling for time that he knew he didn't have. Subaru didn't _look_ desperate at all; instead looking at War-Rock with a placid expression that could have been described as amused…he raised an eyebrow, seemingly taking the challenge.

"Ah, if you insist…" "And he looked up, thinking, swinging his legs back and forth and making him look like the young boy he really was for a few moments. It really was unnerving, seeing him make threats one moment and acting almost childish the next.

"Well, the FM-ians are after the Andromeda Key, after all, so you'd have to hide it somewhere where you could easily keep track of it…and it's something powerful too, so that means you can't really leave it anywhere…they could sense it, couldn't they? I mean, you could sense other FM-ians and weird denpa, so it makes sense that they could sense you and the Andromeda Key's denpa? If you hid it somewhere else, it would make sense for them to go after the Andromeda Key first, so they had some sort of leverage over you…so that means that you have to have it on you somewhere don't you, War-Rock? But you have no pockets or anything to carry stuff with you…" And for a few, hopeful moments, Subaru looked stumped.

And then a twisted look of amusement crossed his face.

"Oh, War-Rock, you didn't. I'd heard of spies swallowing paper that had classified information on it to keep it from the enemy, but…you didn't actually eat the Andromeda Key, did you? Did you really keep it inside your body, War-Rock?"

War-Rock's silence all but confirmed it. Subaru only laughed as he saw the alien get up and brace himself. It looked like War-Rock had resigned himself to attack Subaru himself, or he'd never get a chance to escape. With a roar, War-Rock charged right at the young boy, who was still laughing.

"Battle Card: _Stun Knuckle!_"

War-Rock's claws had barely been an inch from Subaru's face when a bright yellow fist had struck him straight in the chest, driving him upwards into the ceiling and pinning him there. Subaru only looked up, not even acknowledging how close he had been to death, instead staring at the struggling War-Rock with a blank expression.

The yellow fist pressed itself inside War-Rock's chest, causing the alien to cry out as it sank into his body, dislodging the key that was inside him. Once the yellow fist was completely inside, it pushed out the key, slowly and torturously. War-Rock, in his few moments of clarity, could only look down at his chest in horror as the key slowly emerged-first its long slim body, then the winged extensions, and lastly, the gem that topped it all, its power source. The key was just large enough to fit in War-Rock's chest, which meant that Subaru needed to use both arms to catch it as it fell into his arms. War-Rock fell to the floor only seconds later, exhausted, drained, and unable to put up another struggle.

"So this is the Andromeda Key," Subaru murmured, before letting out a soft chuckle as he let it convert itself into pure denpa energy, absorbing it into his Transer. The transer visibly changed, whereas it had been under the Pegasus satellite and thusly had the Pegasus logo on it, the logo had changed into a picture of the Andromeda Key itself. "Thank you, War-Rock. You're a good partner."

War-Rock only let out a groan in response. He wanted to push himself up, but he couldn't. He wanted to make the kiddo go back to normal, but he couldn't. He could only watch blearily as the Transer opened up, letting out green strands of energy that bound his arms and body, dragging him back into it.

"That was good advice you gave me, War-Rock. Doing all I can to achieve my goals. That really cleared my mind. I've decided. If this world…no, if this universe exists only for everyone to live in pain in it…let's have Andromeda destroy it all, War-Rock. That's my goal. That's your goal now too, partner. We'll stop all the suffering in this universe, and we'll do all we can to make that happen. It's a good goal, isn't it? It means we'll spend our whole life working towards it, and then we won't want for anything when it ends, because our lives will end too…it's perfect."

There was another chuckle at the lack of response, before Subaru raised his Transer up.

_"Denpa-Henkan. Hoshikawa Subaru, On-Air." _ And with that, he transformed. But he looked different this time. War-Rock was not a willing participant of the transformation, so his head no longer adorned Subaru's arm. Instead, a blue Transer had taken War-Rock's place, still adorned with the symbol of the Andromeda Key. The emblem on his chest, which for so long had resembled his pendant-that treasured gift from his father-shattered. In its place, the Andromeda Key itself slowly rose out, shrunken to perfectly take the emblem's place. Subaru took a few moments to observe the changes, before smiling, opening the Transer and looking at the screen.

"Let's go, War-Rock. I know you're eager for your own revenge on the FM King, but I think I'd like to take care of some matters on Earth before we go."

And with that, he vanished from his room, never to return.

* * *

**[A/N]: Yep. From here on out, you're getting an evil Rockman. Fun, huh? Next chapter in two days!**


	10. Tying Up Loose Ends is Essential

**[A/N]: This is the longest chapter yet. It might or might not be the longest chapter in this story period, but I'm not so sure about that. Either way, prepare yourself for quite the ride! I fear this chapter will make the lot of you mad at me, actually. That offer to consider chapter 6 as the "official" finale in your minds still stands, you know.**

* * *

**_Chapter 8_**

**_Tying Up Loose Ends is Essential_**

Ogami Juurou, if you asked him, would have called himself content with his current life as a gardener. Sure, he had a bit of a wild side to him, but it wasn't anything he couldn't keep under control. At least, not until he met Wolf. Now he felt himself hungering for battle almost constantly, especially during the full moons. It was maddening! But Wolf encouraged this more vicious side of his, saying he needed Juurou to be battle hungry, waiting for an opponent who he knew would be an interesting match.

When Wolf sniffed out the very FM-ian he was looking for, the traitor War-Rock, or so he was told, he was startled to find out that War-Rock Denpa-Henkaned with a young boy. But the boy's waves were strong, and when he challenged him to a match, the boy had given him an unflinching, unwavering stare until he had finally nodded his assent. This would be a fine match.

Indeed, the two had struggled with each other, trying to find an even ground. Both Denpa-Humans fought viciously and remorselessly, without any regard for their surroundings or their own welfare. This recklessness led to both of the fighters taking heavy damage, and the landscape around them torn up with fire and claws.

Eventually, the only reason that Rockman won was because he gained the upper hand by simply ducking right under Wolf just as he saw the full moon, felt his bloodlust rise tenfold, and sliced through him with a flaming hot sword just as he had torn into Rockman's shoulder. In the end, Rockman was the one who delivered the more fatal final blow.

Rockman stood over both Juurou and Wolf, regarding them with an expression that could almost have been pity if it wasn't so blank.

"How sad. A life devoted to wanting nothing else but fighting and blood…" Juurou only laughed, spitting out a bit of blood in the process.

"Yeah, well, I can't say that fight wasn't worth it. You really gave it more than I expected!"

"Are you truly happy with that? Will you not crave a more vicious fight later on? This cycle of craving…you would continue to live through that?"

"Haah, if I did end up wanting a better fight than this, I don't think I'd be happy at all. You don't get much more vicious and deadly than lying on the floor and awaiting your impending death blow, after all." Rockman merely nodded.

"So it is. Enjoy this moment, human partner of Wolf. Be happy. It will be your last."

All Juurou had to say in response to that was a sharp bark of laughter that was echoed by Wolf, and mere moments later, they had both departed this world after the fiery blade came down one last time.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Jean Couronne Velmod Georgione XIV was often considered a foolish, stupid king in his own time. Perhaps he was. But he was rich, and he was powerful, and nobody could counteract him because he was rich and powerful, no matter how stupid they thought he was! Or at least they couldn't before the revolution. That was a terrible thing, because it meant they kicked him out of power! And then he went on a ship in exile and it sank, and all his riches were gone forever! The only thing left of him to cling onto was his royal crown, and that had ended up in a junkyard, of all things! The humanity!

Now, that Crown fellow, he was a fine man! Er, spirit! With him, he had power again! What a wonderful feeling, after all this time of lounging helplessly around his precious, beautiful, slightly rusted and worn crown!

When that young upstart, that Rock-fellow or whatever he called himself, came to destroy Crown, well, of course he wouldn't have it! Hearing that he was fused with a traitor to Crown's people as well, that only added extra incentive to punish the child. He wouldn't let another revolution stop him! Not this time!

Only this child was strong. This child had power. This child had what he used to have, what he clung onto a spectral existence for in an attempt to regain it-authority, strength, the will to use it, and using it to make others fear him. He destroyed every single minion sent against him remorselessly, countered his attacks whenever he could, and deliberately went to unbalance him, corner him before he could attack with his spirits again.

And corner him he did, next to the incinerator, where he had finally managed to pin him down with some well placed Junk Cubes and Wood Hammers. In fact, that was what he had used to pin him up against the incinerator at that very moment, a large hammer made out of wood.

"Now, that's enough, spirit. Rest. You've been awake long enough."

"Never, never! I'll be awake as long as I want, as long as I need, for me to gain my power again!"

And then the child had the gall to look at him with _disgust_. With _pity_. With a scathing, almost even possibly amused expression.

"You really are a foolish spirit."

Now, he had been called a fool, an idiot, a stupid imbecile of a king many times. But that had been done behind his back, by people scared of his power and strength, or shouted at him by a large mob, by people protected by the anonymity of the crowd. Never before had anyone told this to him straight to his face, with such an expression. And by a delinquent of a child! It was indignity of the worst kind!

"You _dare-_"

"Ah. I dare speak the truth. Why would you remain on this earth for so long, when you've already been granted the chance to leave?"

"Why would I leave it? My riches, my belongings, my power, all of it resides here!"

"And it is all lost to you, forever. You are a spirit. You have no use for these things. You cannot interact with the living world. Would you damn yourself to eternal existence to cling onto these useless things?"

"Of course! What is better than existing, after all?"

"I can show you that, easily. There is nothing more painful than existence…" And with that, Rockman swung the hammer, launching Crown Thunder into the depths of the junkyard. By the time Crown Thunder had managed to find his way back to the incinerator, Rockman had found the royal crown that had been giving off the same denpa as him, holding it with a malicious, speculative expression.

"Peasant! I demand you unhand that relic immediately!"

"Of course, _sir._" And with that, Rockman hurled the aged headpiece to the ground. It was rusted and old, and shattered easily. Immediately, Crown Thunder felt an aching, physical pain course through him that was only amplified by the emotions that came with his precious crown being broken.

"You wretched cur! Repair it, now!"

"I have better plans for it, I'm afraid." And with that, the pieces were gathered into Rockman's arms. Crown Thunder, incapacitated by the pain, could do nothing as he watched the boy walk with the shattered remains of his crown to the incinerator, although he did make vain attempts.

"You awful child! _Hajou-_"

And then Rockman dropped a single piece of the crown into the incinerator.

Crown Thunder let out a wailing, ghastly scream as he felt a piece of his own soul burn away as well. He had been attached to that crown for so long as a symbol of what he once was that his soul was tightly bound to it. He felt the burning pain consume him, slowly, little by little. And then it stopped consuming him, but the pain was still there. His soul still burned for that piece lost, and it ached. Oh, how it hurt. He hadn't felt pain like this since he was last alive, and even then it didn't feel so bad that he felt like he would not only die, but be erased from existence itself!

"Do you see now? The pain of living…"

"Y-you…I will see you burn, you-_aaaaaaaaahhhhhuuuuugh!_" Another piece had been dropped in. That child was deliberately waiting for each piece to completely burn before tossing the next one in, that little…devil! Crown Thunder felt bits of his physical body starting to break off now, his skeleton body was crumbling! No! He wouldn't…he wouldn't disappear…not like this…not lying at somebody else's feet as they displayed power over him…

His body continued to break apart and his soul continued to burn away as Rockman slowly dropped pieces of the crown into the incinerator. When all the metal parts had gone, Rockman simply tore apart the cloth remains, and dropped each of those in, just as slowly.

Near the end, what little left of both Crown and Jean's souls were both crying for release from this torment. Even leaving behind this wonderful world would be better than feeling this constant, burning pain, this destruction…

"Do you understand it now…?" Rockman asked. He held the last piece tightly in his fist, preventing its accidental escape. He had asked this every time a piece had burned away, but he had never gotten a response. In the beginning, Crown Thunder had been spewing vitriol and curses against the devil-child, and as it got closer to the end, it had devolved into insensate sobbing and unintelligible mumbling.

But now, he held the last piece. And he wouldn't give it up until he had an answer. Crown and Jean had to force themselves to fight through the muddled mess of pain with their fragile wisp of a spirit, had to struggle to find words that they could barely pronounce anymore through the pain.

"We…under…stand…" murmured Crown Thunder, his crumbling skull the only thing remaining of him. "T…this pain…if I had just…died when…I had…to…I wouldn't…"

"You wouldn't have had to feel it. I know. Do not speak. I have heard enough. Rest, spirit. Welcome your oblivion."

And with that, the final patch of cloth was released into the incinerator, and the dying sob that Crown Thunder had let out was a grateful one as his soul burned itself into nonexistence.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Hasami never felt more alone than he did now. Finally finding a friend, and then losing him all in the same day…well, that was typical of his bad luck, wasn't it? Nobody cared, and even when one did, they were bound to leave him somehow. His mother, Cancer…they were gone. He didn't even have any news on Hibiki Misora to distract him as usual, she was still missing and the news didn't have anything new to say or any new evidence of her whereabouts. At one point, he thought it would have been great to go looking for her, to rescue her from whatever danger she was in (because there was no way she would have run away, never, never, she loved her fans, didn't she?), but then he remembered. Cancer wanted to be a hero too.

They…they were going to be heroes together…

Hasami sniffled, before holding back his tears. His dad was drunk again. He hated it whenever Hasami was too noisy while he was "trying to enjoy his buzz" or something like that. Hasami couldn't play games, or cry, or even visit the kitchen to try and get a snack…then again, there was never that much in the kitchen for food anyway, just a lot of beer and some bread or crackers at the most. School lunch was the best food that he got every day, and he hadn't even had that for a while now, not since Cancer was gone, he didn't have the heart to go to school. Maybe if his dad wasn't so drunk, he could have gone fishing…nah. He didn't feel like doing much of anything.

Suddenly, Hasami had the feeling that he should turn around. He had felt some sort of presence in his room that was making the hairs of the back of his neck stand for a while now, but he didn't have the motivation to turn. But there was nothing else to do, so he turned.

And he found himself face to face with that traitor, War-Rock. That bad, nasty traitor that he and Cancer were supposed to defeat and become heroes for beating up. What was he doing here?

"You look rather sad. It took you a long time to notice I was here."

Rather sad? _Rather sad?_ Was he teasing him or something? It wouldn't be any different from anyone else…he didn't even have the energy to snap at him like he usually did.

"You shouldn't be so loud. Dad hates it when it's noisy."

"Don't worry, he won't hear anything."

(Hasami didn't know it, but Rockman's sudden appearance at their house had angered his father when he had first heard Rockman's footsteps, and Rockman had confronted him in the room next door. At first he had planned to simply knock him out, but…he was an angry drunkard of a man. People who got drunk like that couldn't be happy people, right? He was better off dead…)

So he wouldn't hear anything? Then…

"Why? Why did you come back? You already…you already…" You already killed off his only friend. What more could you do to him, villain?

"I had a job to finish. I've left you to suffer too much. I apologize." Hasami started sniffling.

"Y-yeah, well d-don't bother saying sorry! I know you're not really sorry for what you did to Cancer!" Rockman merely raised an eyebrow.

"You're right. I'm not. I'm apologizing for leaving you here to suffer without him." And at that, Hasami froze.

"Y-you…you're?" He wasn't. But he was. He was really going to…

"I am." His left arm transformed into a sword. Hasami stared at it, transfixed.

"S-so…th-that's how it is…I'll just have been alone my whole life…what difference is it, whatever you choose to do?"

"You'll be going to where Cancer is. That's something, isn't it?"

Hasami said nothing, only watching the blade as it came up and then down, welcoming the blackness that overtook him.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

She was doing pretty well on her own, wasn't she? Nobody had gotten her hands on her. Nobody had touched the purity of her momma's song. She spent her days laughing loud and long, her giggling intermixed with songs of joy and of wonder, and songs to mama about how well she was doing now that she was free of that terrible man.

Still, things were lonely. She missed being able to talk to someone. The animals here were frightened by her music, and some of them bit and scratched! And she was kind of hungry. She couldn't really go into town for food because everyone knew she was missing. She couldn't let anyone see her, or they'd find her and drag her back! Berries and other plants were okay, but sometimes they made her feel itchy. Those mushrooms too, she thought they were safe, but now she felt kind of dizzy and feverish and she really needed to curl up into a ball right now. So she did, but not before she found herself a nice, secluded little niche between the roots of a large tree. It was kind of comfy being surrounded like this, almost like when she used to be held by her mama…

Misora stiffened when she heard footsteps coming towards her. They were too heavy to be something like a fox, but too light for a bear or some other large animal…what could it be? It couldn't be a person. It couldn't be.

She couldn't look up at first, too busy shivering and trying to look small and unnoticeable. But then she saw feet. Human feet. They were covered in shoes-no, boots…blue boots. Familiar blue boots. No. It wasn't just a person. It was _him._ That boy. The boy who took Harp from her. She forced herself to look up at him, her face contorting with an expression of fury.

"Y-you-…"

The boy said nothing, only acknowledging her words with a nod. That only served to make her madder.

"What d-do you want? You already t-took Harp…"

"I came because I left something unfinished. That's caused you needless suffering." Misora's eyes widened with fear, looking up at him with a crazed expression.

"W-what, ruin me forever? You'd t-take me back t-to _them_? N-never…I won't let you…" Her voice faded away. She knew she couldn't stop him, but she didn't want to admit to it…

"No…that's not it." And Misora stopped shaking, even as the boy crouched down so that he was at her eye level and they could look at each other face to face. "There's something I don't understand…"

"What…what do you want to know?" He didn't want to take her back. What did he want, then? It couldn't be anything worse than taking her back. Nothing was worse than that.

"When we fought, you kept saying something…about protecting a song. Why? Why would you protect something that isn't even tangible? Doesn't it cause you unnecessary grief?"

At that, Misora stiffened in anger. Another person who just didn't understand! But…at least he asked her…at least he seemed to be making an effort to understand. She could at least…try to make him see what she felt. She felt stronger just because she was given that chance. She didn't even feel the tremors coursing through her body right now.

"My…my mama is in Heaven, right now. Before she went to Heaven, she was always very sick, and I would take care of her. I'd sing to her all the time so that she could know about what was going on outside of her bedroom…and then there were auditions, and Mama bought me a new guitar because she said I had talent, that I should try it. So I tried my hardest for Mama, and I became a star…she was so happy to see me singing all our songs. But Mama is in heaven now…I don't have anyone to sing for anymore…My manager said to sing for my fans, but he's a greedy good-for-nothing, he just wants money! That's why I have to protect my mama's songs, otherwise they'll become tainted by all those greedy people…they won't be perfect for mama anymore!"

Misora started to sob weakly. She didn't see Rockman stand up, nor did she see the slightest expression of pity that crossed his face.

"I think…I think I understand now." She looked up, speechless, face still glistening with tears. "You don't really want to protect the songs. The songs are just words that anyone can say…"

"How can you say something like-" Her angry tirade was cut off when he put a finger to his lips in a shushing motion, the almost gentle expression on his face calming her immediately.

"The songs represent what's important to you. You…you miss your mama, don't you?" Misora was speechless. How did he…she never said…she never thought that…but now that she thought about it, she…that was why she…

"Those feelings of grief from losing your mama…they continue to haunt you this whole time. That's why it hurts continuing to sing. Those feelings are poisoning the good times you had with your mama. As long as you miss your mama, you'll never really be able to truly enjoy your songs again…"

"You…how did you…" Her throat tightened up. She felt ready to cry again. "I'll…I'll never stop missing her…she was so important to me…she was all I had left…"

"Ah, I see…" And then the boy smiled down at her, and she suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. "Do you want to see your mama again?"

"Yes…" she gasped, her voice light and breathy and nearly nonexistent. It was a wonder that he heard her at all. "You can…you'll let me see her again?"

"Aah. You don't need to be on this world anymore, to feel these feelings of grief, do you?"

"No…no. Not at all. I want to go to Heaven and see Mama again…"

"I understand." The gentle expression on the boy's face never changed, even as he raised his left arm up and it transformed into a long blade.

"Smile. You don't want to go see your mama with a sad face now, do you?"

And Misora didn't smile. She laughed, a loud, long, insanely happy sound that didn't stop until her head was separated from her body.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Under normal circumstances, if Luna had known she was merely a few hundred meters away from a pop idol, and that they were, in fact, hiding out in the exact same stretch of wilderness, she would have been excited and awed and perhaps asked for an autograph or two. As it was, she was hungry and weak and tired. Unlike Misora, Luna didn't feel the need to try to take care of her body. She barely ate, barely drank, and only slept when her body couldn't move anymore. It was a wonder that no one had found her, considering she didn't even bother trying to hide.

It was during one of her lethargic moments, when her body completely refused to move but she couldn't sleep, that she saw him. That boy who had killed Ophiuchus. Who should have killed her. She didn't see him at first, as she was face down in the dirt, and it wasn't until he had turned her over to see if she was still alive that she spotted him. Her first reaction was to look up at him with shock, then to let a few tears escape her.

"Why…?"

"Why, what?" He didn't seem to be taunting her. He actually looked genuinely curious.

"Why didn't you…why didn't you kill me, back then…?" The boy raised an eyebrow, and then let a fleeting expression of guilt cross his face.

"I am truly sorry. Back then, I thought it was better to let the human partner live, because it was all the FM-ians' doing. I didn't think they would suffer. I forgot that taking away the FM-ian left them with a hole in their hearts again…"

"No…that's wrong. It's worse than that." She sniffled, and the blue boy got down on one knee to look down at her. His expression was so gentle…

"What do you mean?"

"You tore them out of our hearts. Don't you think that would have left extra wounds, the way you did it? So suddenly…" She saw him grimace, saw him realize what he had been doing, and felt terrible, both for her for making him feel this way, and for him feeling it.

"I…I see. I understand, now. I thought it was bad enough, leaving people to continue suffering as they previously were. I didn't think that I left them in an even worse state than before. You had that sensation of a full heart, and to suddenly take that away from you…it leaves you feeling worse than before, doesn't it?"

Luna merely nodded, not having the strength to give him more misery. She watched him stand up.

"I've come to fix that, now. You don't need to live with this pain anymore." Luna smiled gratefully, nodding as she saw his hand transform into a sword. But then…

"Wait." And he did. She still had a little bit of the Class President authority in her, after all.

"My friends…" He looked confused until she gained enough strength to keep talking. "Gonta and Kizamaro…they're suffering too, because of those monsters. They won't…I won't be able to help them anymore. They won't make it…could you…could you please…fix that too?"

The boy looked stunned, but then he smiled gently and nodded.

"I will. I was planning on it, actually, Gonta, at the very least. I can take care of Kizamaro as well."

Luna's eyes closed, tears glimmering on her face.

"Thank you…"

"Be at peace. Everything will be fine, now."

Luna didn't even feel her neck being severed.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

As he opened the door to Kizamaro's room, the last thing Gonta expected to see was a boy in blue standing over Kizamaro's bloodied body. He did the first thing he could think of, which was to charge at the boy in his wheelchair, and damn the consequences.

The other boy merely jumped over him, landing against the door and slamming it in a single, fluid motion.

"You-how could you-?" And as Gonta turned around to face him, he felt memories coming back to him. Turning into a monster. Taking over the truck. Fighting against and losing to…

"It was you…you were the one who stopped me…weren't you?"

"I see you remember me." The other boy landed on the floor and stood up straight, and Gonta realized that had he still had the use of his two legs, Gonta would have been larger than him.

"Ha…haha…so that's how it is. Even with a monster's help, even when I'm bigger and stronger than you…my strength's all useless, isn't it?"

"You shouldn't say that. You and your strength were very important to someone." The boy kept walking towards him, coming closer. Gonta involuntarily backed up, until he was level with Kizamaro's bed. He belatedly realized that the machines had been disabled, no wonder nobody had noticed him dying until it was too late…that reminded him…

"Why? If you saved us before…why did you do that to him…?"

"It was a request from the Class President." Those words made Gonta pause.

"The…the Class President? Does that mean…is she?"

"She is no longer in this world." And Gonta felt his hope shatter.

"No…you're lying!"

"I am not. I witnessed her end myself." And then, the boy had the gall to _smile_ at him. "She was very worried about you two." Gonta felt his throat tighten up.

"O…of course she would be. The Class President always fussed about us…she helped me…she helped us so much…"

"I know. She was a good friend, wasn't she?" There was a chuckle. "Those were her last words to me. _'I won't be able to take care of them now. Please make sure that Gonta and Kizamaro don't have to feel this pain anymore.'_"

"Don't have to feel this pain…" Gonta repeated almost dumbly, wondering. She was thinking about them, even when she was about to…she…

"Aaah. The pain of continuing to live the way you are. Kizamaro mindless, your strength gone, and the very person your strength was useful to…she is no longer around." The words wrapped around his mind, seductive and tempting.

"It was…so hard to hear that she went missing. Right after we found out that Kizamaro would never be himself again. And then her parents died in that fire...she must have been hurting so much, and I…I couldn't help her at all!"

"I know. She missed you both dearly, you know that?" Gonta looked up at the boy. When had he gotten so close? When did his hand turn into that sword? "She wanted the best for you. I came here to fulfill her last wishes. Isn't she such a good friend?"

"She is…she's the best. She'll always be the best." He started to cry. "Oh, Class President…worrying about someone worthless like me…!"

"Now, now. Don't say that. She cared for you, so you're not worthless at all, now are you?" And Gonta looked up, transfixed by the gentle expression the boy wore, even with his sword raised up in the air.

"She asked me to take you to where she is. Are you ready to see her again?"

Gonta nodded, and closed his eyes, welcoming the downward slash that ended his life.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Ikuta Michimori (he refused, he absolutely refused to call himself a sensei now, not after what he did) couldn't sleep. The dull pain in his back was keeping him up again. Somehow, it felt like no matter how much medication or treatment was given to him, the pain would never really go away. An appropriate punishment, even if he felt it wasn't strong enough. Something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Why did he have to make such a decision? Why did no one blame him for it? When he told his story, they attributed his story about Libra to "hallucinatory nonsense, probably something concocted up from all those painkillers he's been on, poor man!" and condemned the principal for forcing him to choose his job over his students. None of his students wanted to blame him either, not even Luna-that poor girl, he did hope she didn't go missing due to what he caused-and she had always been vehement on ensuring that teachers did their jobs in the school (duty of the Class President, of course!).

And his children, oh, his poor kids…they missed their father. That was all. They didn't care about what their father did at work. They just wanted him home again, so he could pick them up and hold them, tell them their favorite stories, and tuck them into bed. He'd failed them as well. And with no job, and the school in the midst of shutting down, he had no viable source of income for the future. He could barely afford to raise his seven kids on his teacher's salary as it was. With every day he was kept in the hospital, more money was siphoned away from his children's meals, toys, and their home…

Why did nobody blame him? Why?

"Yo, sensei."

He didn't recognize that voice. It sounded like a child's, but…it wasn't any of his students, or his children. And it was too late at night for those kids to be visiting anyway. Was he hallucinating?

"I'm no sensei, child. You shouldn't be here, you'd best get back to your hospital room before you get in trouble…"

"But I came to see you, Ikuta-sensei! It took me a while to find out who you were!"

A complete stranger. Why would a child come to see him if they didn't even know…ah. Those rumors about the mad teacher. Maybe he was here on a dare?

"Yes, well, you've seen me. You should probably leave now…"

"But…well, I wanted to apologize, you see…"

"Apologize?" Shouldn't he be the one apologizing? What did this child-who apparently didn't even _know_ him-need to apologize for?

"Mmhm! For hurting you while you were Libra Scales! I needed to stop you, but I kind of went too far…I was really desperate, I'm sorry!"

"What…?" He winced at hearing that name. So there was a child who believed that story, but…what did he mean, hurting him…he turned, and then…that odd blue-clothed boy from the dimmest edges of his memory was there in the room, sitting on a chair next to his bed.

"You are…that boy? The one fused with the traitor…?"

"Mmhm, that's me. I came to see how you were doing, once I heard you were really badly hurt. They say you'll probably be in the hospital for a long time, huh?"

"Yes…that's right. I don't blame you, though. I shouldn't have made that decision…"

"Mmm, well, I can't say I don't blame you. You had the desire to do that deep in your heart somewhere, otherwise the FM-ian wouldn't have taken you over. Libra, I mean."

So that's what it was. Because of his weakness, because he was unable to follow through with his will and his ideals, and wasn't able to help both his students and his kids…that was why.

"Anyways, I'm not worried about that. The fact is, I left you to suffer like that for a long time…so…sorry." And the boy stood, stretching.

"It's not my suffering that bothers me, anyway, so don't you worry about me." The boy looked at him, with wide innocent eyes full of curiosity. Ah, to be a naïve youth again…

"Then…what's making you suffer? You're very sad, I can sense your waves…"

"My children…" It felt good to vent like this. To someone who would let him take the blame, but remained sympathetic. They lent a listening ear, and even if he couldn't do anything about it, at least someone would hear his fears for their safety and well-being. "I can't take care of them like this. I made the decision I did because I wanted to keep my job, to protect them, but now…I have no job. And I'm in no condition to find a new one. There's a lawsuit going against the school to provide for them, but with how slow legal processes are, they won't be seeing any support from them in a long time, and even then I'm sure they'll try to try and pay as little as possible…and that's not the worst of it."

"Hm? But not being able to eat, or have a home, or anything like that…how is anything worse than that, sensei?"

"They won't have their father either, child. I've lost a part of myself that I can't get back, and even if I do recover enough to get out of this darned bed, I'll be a cripple. I won't be able to hold them or comfort them, and I'll only be a burden to them this way. They'll remember their father as the bung-up who got himself hurt at work, and left them with so much work. What kind of father would I be, if my children had to take care of me before they were old enough to even get a job? They'll never remember anything I taught them, about how to love life and live it to the fullest, because they'll have spent their lives, their precious childhoods, cleaning up after my mess! I wanted to do something for them, but I…I…I ended up ruining their lives instead! What sort of father am I?"

"A very loving one."

The response jolted him out of his self-berating rant. He looked over at the child, who was looking down at him. The expression…it was surprisingly gentle, older than a kid his age should be wearing. A face that had seen many scenes of suffering, had gone through so much…

"Your kids are lucky, to have a father like you. Many people would only be cursing their luck, trying to find some way to benefit themselves rather than worrying about their kids, don't you think? After all, your injuries were very serious."

"A…aa, I suppose. But being a loving father isn't going to put food in my children's mouths, or send them to school, or…"

"Mm, I supposed not. But…it's enough to make the ultimate effort for them, isn't it?"

"Of course. But what effort could I make, being like this?"

"Ah, the solution is simple, really. That phrase, how did they say it? 'If you truly love them, you'll let them go'?"

"Let them…go…"

"Mmhm!" And the boy nodded. "I hear parents talk about things called 'insurance,' that would protect the children if they died. You have that 'insurance,' right?"

"For now, I do…"

"Well, don't you think you should take advantage of it?" The question was so blunt, so out of left field, that it left Ikuta nearly speechless.

"I…"

"It would be faster than waiting for that school to pay, right? Plus, doesn't that also mean that your children would be given to people who could take care of them for you? They can be good fathers and mothers for you! You wouldn't have to worry about your kids at all, and they could grow up without having to worry about taking care of a daddy who couldn't take care of himself. It works out great for everyone, doesn't it?"

"It…does…but…" The fact that this child could talk about such things, without dropping that innocent tone…it unnerved him. It didn't unnerve him enough to stop him from listening, though, the child's words had too much truth, too much possibility in them to ignore.

"Ikuta-sensei…" The boy's tone sounded petulant and whiny, and the former teacher couldn't help but smile at how similar it sounded to one of his kids getting a time out or detention. "You said you loved your kids a lot!"

"I do, child. Really, I do…"

"Then, shouldn't you help them?" The boy smiled, and tilted his head. His next words had a slight edge of…anger? Maliciousness? Warning? It was hard to tell.

"You already failed your students, Ikuta-_sensei_. Don't fail your children, too."

Ikuta's eyes widened. Someone….someone was finally outright blaming him. He was now expected to take responsibility for his actions. It was gratifying…but at the same time, almost terrifying. And yet…while blaming him, they were giving him a chance to repent. To try and fix his mistakes. They were giving him a chance at proper redemption, instead of pitying him and trying to push the blame elsewhere. His decision was sealed.

"…I understand." And then, a relaxed smile crossed his face, as if he had made peace with himself. "Thank you, child."

"You should close your eyes, Ikuta-sensei. It would be better that way. And keep that smile! You need to watch over your children happily, you know!" A small chuckle escaped the former teacher's lips at that even as he followed those lighthearted commands.

"I wonder why you continue to call me sensei. After all, I did fail my students."

"But you were a good teacher, weren't you, sensei? Besides, you could have been my teacher, too! My mother mentioned that she saw you in a meeting, once, to talk about me. And Tsukasa-kun mentioned that you always called my name…"

"Could have been…ah. So you're the Hoshikawa Subaru that never shows up, are you?" Ikuta-sensei let out one last chuckle. He had hoped to meet the child, once. Still, it looked like he had learned much about the world, even without learning from him. "You grew up well."

"Thank you, sensei."

And Ikuta knew no more.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

It was simple work, ending Utagai's life. No need to use pretty words on a comatose man, after all. All it took was disabling the machines that would alert the nurses and then a slash at the throat. Easy. It was likely painless too, what with his body in the state it was. Why did they bother keeping the man alive, letting his soul go through that, trapped within a useless husk? There was no chance at recovery after all.

"You were such a bitter and jealous man…isn't it better for you now, not having anything to worry about? Nothing at all…"

Rockman chuckled and then opened up his Transer.

"That's it. All the remaining FM-ians and their human partners have been taken care of. Now, there is nothing to worry about coming after me while I go after the FM King and his controller. It did take three years for you to come here because of you constantly having to hide from your pursuers, War-Rock. I'd rather not have to deal with anything slowing us down, you know…"

He felt the Andromeda Key rumble in response and gently stroked the gem that was still protruding from his chest. "Ah, there is no need to worry. Earth will have its suffering ended soon enough."

Rockman's laughter echoed throughout the hospital room as he disappeared.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Kodama Town had a taste of fame when the tragedy of the space station, Peace, happened three years before. Now, it was under an absolute onslaught of media attention. Mysterious deaths peppered all around it and its surrounding areas were something of interest, after all.

It had started off with a body in a junkyard. The body had been identified as one Tsukasa Futaba, and a look into his sparse history found that he had been abandoned as a baby in that very same junkyard. He had been shunted from orphanage to orphanage, and there were rumors of him starting fights with other people. It was concluded that this had been the outcome of one of those fights, but the search for someone who wielded a blade long enough to pierce through the chest who fit any suspects continued.

Another body was found in the rubble of the burned down Yashibu Department Store. Ogami Juurou, a simple gardener that had been enlisted to help restore the shop's floral displays and gardens. There was no known motive.

The next victims were the Hasami family-a divorced man and his young son. It was found that the man, despite being a workaholic, drank excessively and had rung up debts in all the wrong places. It was very possible that someone had contracted someone to extract those debts by any means necessary, but the only problem with that theory was that the house had not been looted at all. Nothing was missing.

Two girls that had previously been reported missing were both discovered in the same forest. They had both been beheaded. Despite the scandalous rumors, there was no evidence that they had been sexually abused, nor forcefully subdued. The fact that they were the missing heiress to the recently deceased Shirogane parents and the famous pop star Hibiki Misora did raise some eyebrows, though, had someone planned on using them in bribery and extortion, and killed them when they refused to cooperate?

The most disturbing scene, however, was found in a hospital. Four patients, all killed within the hospital's supposedly safe walls, and at least one of them was assumed to be a victim merely by being the wrong place in the wrong time, as Ushijima Gonta was not assigned to the same room as Saishoin Kizamaro.

The only thing linking all of the murders together, other than the murder of Futaba, was the fact that every single victim had been beheaded. But even then, Futaba's wound had been inflicted by the same sort of weapon. It had been determined that the fatal wounds had been inflicted by some sort of energy-laced blade, due to the wounds cauterizing almost immediately due to some sort of heat source. But what the weapon could be, nobody knew. There was no motive that could have linked these together, or so the public thought.

The Satella Police had kept some information from the public, however. There was one more factor linking them all together, and it also linked to another case that received little media attention compared to the many murders.

Every single victim had been exposed to an intense amount of Z-Waves. This indicated that an alien life form of sorts had been around them, and could possibly have been responsible for their deaths.

The final case was the disappearance of Hoshikawa Subaru, a young boy that had been living with his widowed mother. The last sighting of him had been the mother herself, sending him off to bed on the very same night that Futaba Tsukasa had been murdered. There had been no sign of a struggle, nor any sign of him leaving the room by physical means. The house, Subaru's room in particular, was saturated in Z-Waves, far too much to simply pin down the source as Subaru's brief exposure to both the truck and AMAKEN incidents. It was very much possible that there had been an alien life form living in the house for an extensive period of time, and that it had been responsible. The Hoshikawa boy had likely been involved.

When the mother was informed of this, her response was an emotional outburst that had the officers worried for her life as well as their own. She had to be physically restrained from harming the officers after hearing their hypotheses that her young son could possibly have been involved in the murders and was indeed a prime suspect-at least for questioning purposes. She was left alone to sob about the new developments and at losing the only remaining member of her family, with no hopes of recovering either of them and the possibility that her only son had been completely taken over by some vicious alien life form and had turned into a murderer.

If Amachi Mamoru had not come to visit her later that evening to console her about the recent events, her life would have ended that very night.

Hoshikawa Akane, after her outburst and her suicide attempt, had been quietly bustled off to a mental hospital to prevent the information about Z-Waves and alien life forms from spreading to the public. People whispered about how sad it was, how such a nice young woman could lose both her husband and son within three years through no fault of her own, but soon forgot about her. After several weeks of investigation, and no new evidence coming forth, the uproar over the spree killings slowly began to die down. The victims were laid to rest, and soon forgotten, only to be brought up when gossip mills turned. They became the stuff of ghost legends told to scare young children. Kodama Town settled back down into its former sleepy small town lifestyle, save the few interested tourists and speculative gossip reporters that visited every now and then who came to hear about the murders and see the sites close hand.

Life was…status quo.

* * *

**[A/N]: Um. Yeah. Rockman isn't messing around here. Uh. **

**...Not much else to say, really. Two or so days until the next chapter, folks.**


	11. Paranoia Makes You Predictable

**[A/N]: In this chapter, I take a few liberties with timing, but otherwise, I think there's nothing else to worry about. I think. Other than the misery. But that's to be expected.**

* * *

**_Chapter 9_**

**_Paranoia Makes You Predictable_**

Cepheus was scared.

No, that wasn't quite right. He was always scared. There were always things to be scared about when you could trust no one. Cepheus was _terrified._ He had never felt so vulnerable before.

Destroying the Earth was supposed to be easy. Their denpa technology was inferior to theirs, even with the boost provided by the three strange satellites that orbited it. They had neglected to look for their missing astronauts, only proving that they were a race full of ugly, traitorous creatures that should be wiped out of existence before they could find a way to harm them. They were unaware of their existence, and could even serve as vessels for his strongest and finest warriors. But with War-Rock fleeing with the key to their strongest weapon, and his elite guard yet to report in, Cepheus had been starting to doubt that. He listened for any word of his warriors. What he had been told by several of the underlings did not alleviate his worries.

They had all been killed, he was told. No matter. He could revive them, easily. The humans they had been possessing were killed as well, they said. Well, War-Rock had been raised to be a proper FM-ian soldier. Such efficient cruelty in battle was highly prized by his race. Frankly, it surprised the FM King a little bit. Even with his competitive nature, War-Rock didn't often like to kill unless it was necessary. That he had risen to the top ranks of his army while still holding onto that soft nature of his spoke volumes of his strength. The fact that he had started killing freely while on that planet merely confirmed to him that Earth was a toxic, corrupting influence. It was a home of betrayers and fiends. It should be destroyed.

Then, Cepheus felt it. That familiar surge of power. The Andromeda Key had been activated, if only for a brief amount of time. It had changed hands. But none of his soldiers were alive to force War-Rock into giving it up. That only meant one of two things: that War-Rock had finally chosen to activate the key for whatever reason he had, or that the humans had managed to discover him and take the key for themselves. Neither outcome was favorable. It was time to retreat.

Cepheus disappeared from the remains of the space station Peace that he had planned to use as a platform for destroying the Earth (wouldn't it have been such lovely irony, using the very vessel they had planned on using to deceive them as a base where he would carry out the Earth's own demise?), cutting off any connection he had to the wreck.

Those events had been nearly a year ago. It had taken them three years to chase War-Rock through space down to Earth. Cepheus was not foolish enough to believe that it would take either War-Rock or the humans that long to launch their counter attack. After all, there was a difference being hiding out and avoiding detection, and launching a full-out assault.

No, as soon as Cepheus had gotten home, he had issued orders to increase his army's numbers, attempted to find new elites to guard him, and established new security protocol. He saw no one. His needs and decrees were delivered through various untraceable transmissions. He holed up inside a secret hidden room with no entries or exits, the walls made to only accept authorized denpa-his food, his decrees, nothing more.

His subjects called him mad, paranoid. Cepheus ignored them. They would be paranoid too; if they had to deal with attempted murder from the day they were born. Time after time, he would trust someone. Time after time, they had either betrayed or failed him. Gemini was only the most recent in a long string of failures. Had it not been his idea to destroy the Earth, the same way they had Planet AM? Look what misery that had brought him. His most powerful warriors destroyed and his most powerful weapon halfway in the hands of a traitor. All he could do now was languish in this secret, unknown room with the Andromeda's controller, isolated from everyone and everything.

Cepheus vowed, then and there, to never trust in another being's word.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The entire castle shook to its very foundations, disturbing even Cepheus in his secret chamber. So, it had begun. The traitor, or those humans...they had reached him. He cut off all connections, suppressing his own extremely powerful waves. Hopefully, to the invaders, it would merely look like a stretch of wall and he could escape in the aftermath.

Cepheus had planned to run while the majority of his forces had been out subduing the invading force. But they were falling back too quickly. They had been told to hold out for a slated amount of time, and it hadn't even been half that before Cepheus heard nearby walls being blown down. Whoever had managed to get close, they were destroying everything with reckless abandon, not caring for targeting anything specific. This wasn't good. What kind of power was this?

No matter. He would have to forego any security measures. Trying to sneak out would take too long, at the rate this force was closing in. He would have to make it an all for nothing. Letting his denpa flare for the briefest of moments, enough to signal his forces to his location and indicating where backup was needed, he turned to flee.

That moment of turning away was all that was needed for his attacker to grab him by the back of his neck.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Cepheus didn't know how long he had struggled to get away. All he knew was that one moment, they had been in his safe room, and in the next moment both of them were sitting on the dusty and unused throne that he had left abandoned for such a long time. How was this individual standing up to his waves? The Z-Waves his body gave off were strong enough to twist the real world and the denpa world together into a mangled mess, strong enough that many denpa beings could barely tolerate being near him. Only his previous ten strong warriors could bear to be near him for long periods of time. With War-Rock the traitor gone and his nine others killed in action…who was left?

He was given his answer when he was harshly thrown to the floor. On trying to get up, he found himself at the edge of a long blade. Looking up, he saw the form of…a young human boy in a blue suit? His castle had been stormed, his warriors apparently defeated, and his waves were being resisted by an infant membter of an inferior species who had barely discovered the wonders of denpa technology?

**"What-" **

"Don't move. Trust me, my blade is faster than you think."

That was the voice of a hardened warrior. One who had seen many fights, one whose resolve would not be shaken…the cold, emotionless voice of a perfect FM-ian soldier. An FM-ian soldier who had picked him as their next target…

**"What do you want from me?"** At that, the boy laughed.

"I thought it would be obvious. Or are you telling me that you hid yourself away for no reason at all?"

That condescending tone…how dare such a child-

"Ah, ah…" Cepheus felt the blade touch his neck, and he flinched. "Careful. You don't want to get in a temper, do you?"

The FM King could only growl softly as he looked up at the boy. His eyes widened as he saw the Andromeda Key embedded in the blue suit that the boy wore. So that's how he was able to resist his strong waves…how long had the boy been assimilated with the key itself?

**"How…" **Cepheus swallowed, only proceeding to talk at a gentle nudge from the blade against his neck. **"How did you know where to find me?"**

The boy gave him a condescending look, as if he had asked a particularly stupid question.

"War-Rock told me all about you. Your paranoia, your fear, your inability to fully trust in others." And then, the boy smirked. "Paranoid beings like you…that's easy to predict, isn't it? You wouldn't go hide out somewhere new if you could help it, you'd just continue to build walls around yourself in your safe haven and hope that no one would care to notice you. I would know…I did the same, once."

Cepheus could only gawk as the boy laughed softly. "Hide away and hope the world doesn't notice us, eh? Build up our walls, isolate ourselves from everyone else, and hope that nothing will ever break through. A fruitless endeavor. There will always be someone or something trying to get involved with you for one reason or another. The universe is desperate to create bonds. What a cruel place to live, eh?"

**"Y-you would dare…you would _dare_ compare yourself to me, the FM King?"** Cepheus growled. So this boy…he was aligned with the traitor somehow. Was this the human that had fused with War-Rock? No…War-Rock wasn't this cruel. How could the human have taken over the Denpa-Henkan like that? Was it his true personality showing through…?

Cepheus' musings were cut off by another dismissive laugh from the boy.

"Well, yeah. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we both chose to deny relationships with others, to refuse to trust, and yet, we were granted an immense power to change the universe…"

The boy tilted his head, and _smiled._

"The difference is that you chose to use your power as a means of self-defense. To brandish it when you were threatened and nothing more. While I…I plan on using Andromeda for the purpose it was made for. I'll change the universe…I'll destroy it all. Then, there won't be any more trivial bonds to worry about, to cause pain to everyone in it...a lovely thing, wouldn't you agree, FM King?"

**"Y-you…"** This boy…he echoed the very same thoughts that would flit around Cepheus' brain from time to time. Wouldn't it just be easier to destroy everything, so he would have nothing to fear? It was true that, at the rate that he was going, Cepheus would likely have attempted to destroy every neighboring planet before they even had a chance to invade…

But why did it feel so wrong having them voiced? Why did the thought of actually carrying it out scare him so?

Cepheus grimaced in pain as he felt a hand grip his throat, lifting him up so that he was looking down at the boy's face, their eyes meeting. **"You would really…?"**

"Of course. I would think that you, out of everyone, wouldn't be shocked. After all, I know you can sympathize. But of course, you're either too weak-willed or too attached to your own existence to even think about its eventual destruction…so I'm afraid I'll have to take the Andromeda's controller from you."

**"I'll never give the controller to you!"** It was an instinctual response. Andromeda kept him safe. Andromeda was his means of eliminating any threats to his well being. He couldn't give up his last vestige of strength, not even if it would allow someone else to do what he never had the strength to do.

The boy only gave him a dismissive look.

"Of course you wouldn't. I'd be surprised if you did. That's why I said I'd have to _take_ it from you. Even if you don't tell me where it is, I'm pretty sure I can hazard a guess. After all, we are alike, aren't we?"

At that, Cepheus tried to wriggle free, only to have the boy tighten his grip on his throat.

"Let's see. You hide away in a room with no storage capacities whatsoever, only a bed and little else. The most precious thing to you is your own safety and welfare. Naturally, you would hide whatever you associate with your own safety and welfare as close to you as possible. And if your room has such little storage capacity…" The boy grinned, and Cepheus found himself feeling dread at watching the expression of knowing triumph grow on his face. He amplified the strength of his waves in a last ditch effort to try and dissuade the boy, try and shake him off. It had no effect.

"You've done the same as War-Rock. The Andromeda controller is assimilated into your body, isn't it? Keeping it there until it would be needed, was it?"

**"You-ghk!"** The boy's grip had tightened again, and a sword had been placed against his chest.

"Well, then, it was a pleasant chat, but-" An explosion cut the boy off as the remnants of Cepheus' army had responded to the sudden spike in the king's power levels, using it as a signal to track him down. It was an impressive sight, seeing so many denpa bodies crowding into the throne room at once.

The boy merely looked at them all with a dismissive glance. "A last ditch resort by a desperate king, is it? Very well." He tossed Cepheus to the side and brandished the sword that had been meant for him at his army instead.

Before charging off to battle, the boy looked back and smirked.

"I suggest that you don't run. It'll only make things worse for you in the end."

And Cepheus could only watch as the boy charged into the depths of his army. The boy was a brutal fighter. He made sure that every attack of his struck someone. He had no problem with using other enemies as shields for attacks, and the battle cards that he used were varied and all lethal.

When the boy summoned a series of missiles that targeted and eliminated nearly every null element lifeform in his army, Cepheus did what any sane being would have done in his situation.

He ran.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Cepheus looked down at the FM Planet as he fled. This had been the original plan: have his army distract the attacker long enough so that he could flee into exile. It mattered not what happened to them. He trusted none of them with his life regardless, so staying with them was out of the question. Now, he had to embark on the life of a fugitive, constantly hiding, fleeing, on the lookout for a threat…it was no different from his usual life, was it? Only now, he had no safe haven to return to…

"Yo."

He froze. No. It couldn't be. No. _No._ How had his attacker caught up with him so quickly? It was impossible…he turned, and found his neck being grabbed again as he was brought face to face with the boy once more.

**"H-how…"**

"War-Rock and I defeated all of your most elite warriors a year ago. Did you think that a hastily thrown-together army could even compare, especially since we've spent a year getting stronger on our travels, and assimilating with the Andromeda Key? I could call you a more foolish king than Crown Thunder, if that was the case."

**"O…of course not…but I had hoped…"**

"To use them as a distraction, so you could run and hide away again." The boy smirked. "I told you, we're very alike. I could easily guess that you wouldn't have listened to me and fled anyway. See how much worse you've made it for yourself? That fleeting sensation of hope, it's all gone now, isn't it? All that effort for nothing…doesn't it feel worse, now?"

Cepheus grunted, before letting out a scream of pain as the boy sliced through his body with a sword, forcing his hand inside his chest to pull the Andromeda's controller out. As the controller emerged, the key embedded in the boy's chest began to glow in response, and the figure of Andromeda began to materialize underneath them.

The pain felt like it would never end, and Cepheus couldn't even track the time it took for the controller to be pulled out. He only registered it ending when he was dropped onto Andromeda's fully materialized body, looking up blearily at the boy investigating the controller with a triumphant expression on his face. He watched as the boy used the key's power to convert the controller into a small card, which was then inserted into the device on his left arm. He struggled to stand, to try to at least crawl away. He had to survive. Even if he didn't have his safe haven anymore…he had to find a way to hide, to keep himself from being hurt further. Instead, he found himself picked up by the back of his neck yet again.

"Now where are you going, hm? Don't you want to see what you could have done with Andromeda's power? After all, your planet is just as full of pain and suffering as my own planet is...it's your duty, as FM King, to oversee it being saved, don't you think? Besides, I'm not done with you."

Cepheus struggled to free himself, even as the boy sent off Andromeda with a wave of his hand, watched as his ultimate weapon began to eat away at his previous home.

**"What…what more do you want from me…you have my trump card…"**

"Ah, but I don't have all your power, do I? War-Rock told me that your Z-Waves are so strong, they can mesh the real world and the wave world together…you were able to summon wave balls that could convert solid matter to denpa with the sheer strength of your waves. If I want Andromeda to destroy the Earth, wouldn't I need to be able to do that as well? With Andromeda no longer in your hands, and your planet destroyed, you no longer need your title of FM King, do you? You would no longer have to fear anyone coming after your throne. You no longer need your power to control Andromeda, nor to defend yourself."

**"N…no…please…"** His strength was all he had left. It was his only constant. His efforts to free himself renewed, but were all in vain as he felt the boy's grip tighten, his fingers sink into his neck, and his energy being sapped away by the sheer force and will of the Andromeda Key in his attacker's body. He screamed and writhed in pain even as the boy looked on with a blank, unfeeling expression.

"I would have left you unconscious for this. But it's apparent by your actions that you need to understand the magnitude of suffering your fearful and paranoid existence has brought upon yourself. Even if it's good to avoid having to make bonds with others…loneliness is its own pain, isn't it? Always having to look out for threats, always clinging on to this power in an attempt to protect yourself when it's that very same power that draws your attackers to you…what has that brought you, FM King?"

Cepheus did not respond, only screaming more as he felt his power being drained away into the key. His eyes opened enough to watch the device on the boy's arm open, revealing a screen where War-Rock was looking on, bound inside the machine by several green strands of energy. So the human had found a way to overpower War-Rock. What a vile species…going so far as to produce spawn like this child…a child that would willingly destroy his own home!

"Ah, War-Rock, I nearly forgot. You did want your revenge on the FM King as well…does this satisfy you, seeing him watch the destruction of his own planet, the same as you did as you watched Planet AM…?"

Cepheus' eyes widened. One of his most powerful soldiers, an AM-ian? War-Rock had never really been on his side? He watched as War-Rock looked up at his weakening body and then looked away, something almost like regret on his face.

**"It's…it's enough…"**

"Is that so? Very well." And then the energy drain intensified. It almost felt as if Cepheus' remaining energy had been all pulled out at once. He hung limply in the boy's grip, and didn't move even as Rockman turned around to allow Cepheus to watch his planet's end.

"What a lonely, sad existence you've led, FM King. Always afraid, always worried, and never happy…why did you continue to cling onto life? You had no purpose other than to lash out at anything that came close to you. And now, it's come to this. You have nothing left now, except your miserable life."

Cepheus said nothing at first, only watching helplessly as Andromeda continued to eat.

"Does it make you happy, watching everything that could be a threat disappear? Did it ever?"

**"…No…"** Cepheus was too tired to feel surprised at the traitorous words coming out of his mouth. **"Not at all…there was always something new to worry about…I could never…ever feel at peace…"**

"Do you understand, then, this pain of your existence?"

**"…I do."**

"Then…would you see it end, like your planet now, like mine in the future…like the rest of this universe…?"

Cepheus was silent. Even if the boy chose to spare him…what would he do? He had no power. He had no purpose. He had no safe haven, no home. What would stop him from continuing to be hurt?

**"…I would."**

"Then so it shall be." And the boy let him go one final time.

Cepheus felt nothing even as he fell to his end. As he fell down into Andromeda's path, he reflected that perhaps this wasn't the cruelest of ends. In the end, this boy had chosen to be…somewhat merciful. He knew he had thwarted many enemies that would not allow him to die in safe anonymity like this, would parade his loss throughout the streets, would never allow him a quiet, easy death and would torture him as long as remotely possible. And the boy…he had the strength to do what Cepheus wanted, but never could bring himself to do…to bring the end of everything that was a threat.

"Andromeda. _Consume him._"

Cepheus closed his eyes as he saw the giant robot's jaws open.

* * *

**[A/N]: So yeah, I shortened the travel time between Earth and FM from three years down to one year, due to Rockman not really having to worry about FM-ians coming after him, and because he's got his focus narrowed down to one thing only. It's probably a little much, but I have my reasons for keeping Subaru away from the Earth for the two years needed to hop to FM and back. You'll see why in the next chapter...which should show up in two days, of course!**


	12. A Deal With Traitors and Fools

**[A/N]: Right-o, next chapter! And I find it amusing that one reviewer has pointed out that Subaru seems to be quite skilled in having other people think the same way he does. In canon, doesn't he do the same? His words and actions prove himself and his views to most others, as typical of the shounen hero. It's just now...well, he still has that ability, it's just being used to...promote different views. A bit of a subversion, I suppose. Just because he's evil now doesn't mean he loses those innate qualities that made him heroic, it just means that they're being used differently, right?**

**You'll get to see him exercise that honeyed tongue of his a bit more this chapter, so enjoy!**

* * *

**_Chapter 10_**

**_A Deal With Traitors and Fools_**

Finally…it really did take too long for Rockman to return to Earth. But finally, after two years spent away retrieving the Andromeda's controller, and mastering the power absorbed from the FM King, the planet was finally in sight. He could end its suffering, like he'd planned for so long.

Except…what was this pain he was feeling? It felt like his body was being rendered numb. If it wasn't for the sheer power of the Andromeda Key, Rockman was sure he wouldn't have been able to move. But even then, it was putting the key under a lot of stress trying to repel those effects, and he found himself drifting away from the Earth. Opening the Transer on his arm, he spoke, his voice coming out in a harsh crack.

"War-Rock…what is this? Can you tell?"

War-Rock didn't talk much these days, not ever since the destruction of Planet FM. It was if he didn't really want to register or feel what he was doing, resigning himself to just doing whatever Rockman wanted. Good for him. Holding onto emotions like that, well, didn't it only lead to pain?

**"It's…that meteor, over there. That red substance it's made of…it's emitting crazy radiation. I don't know what it is, but it definitely messes with denpa beings. And it looks like the meteor is also being attracted to Earth by something on it. Perhaps there's something on Earth that's controlling it..."**

"Che. War-Rock…you're not trying to postpone the destruction of Earth that we've been working towards for so long, aren't you? Saying things like that…"

**"No. I haven't been able to stop you doing anything else, have I…? That's just what I'm sensing. But if that thing's even affecting the Andromeda Key, I doubt you can destroy Earth with that thing in the way. You'll have to find some way of dealing with it, and the closest place to find hints is Earth."**

"Tch. Fine. Back down to Earth, it is…"

It looked like the planet would have to suffer for just a little longer. No matter.

The end would come soon enough.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

King was not pleased that an intruder had managed to slip inside his secret base so easily. Such flaws in his security system could not be tolerated, especially not with that other organization vying for control of the world, that…Neo Mu Empire. What nonsense, relying on the past to rule the future! Obviously, if the Mu was destroyed, despite their supposed super-technology, then their legacy held mistakes that shouldn't be repeated!

Then again, they did have some…useful technology. It made for excellent Crimson control, even if it did draw the ire of their people, especially that Solo child. Really, if he wasn't so hellbent on vengeance on his organization, he'd have tried to draw away the boy himself. His alliance with the Neo Mu Empire was so shaky and could easily be broken, after all. Perhaps it was him that managed to get in? The ace of the Neo Mu Empire was one of the few he could expect to break in, after all.

When King arrived to check up on the security breach _personally_, as all proper leaders should (after all, he needed to be aware of any possible flaws in his personal hideout!), he found himself observing a heated battle between his own personal ace and…a young boy in blue?

"Ha! Do you think an imperfect Denpa-Henkan like yours can stand up to a _real_ fight? Are you that desperate? Battle Card: Radar Missile!"

King watched in shock as Acid Ace, one of his strongest children, was blasted away into one of the Crimson machine's controls. His astonishment was only increased watching his child struggle to get up. An attack like that shouldn't have caused that much damage. This meant that he was already struggling with previous injuries. How strong was this young boy? He couldn't be any older than little Jack…

"Throwing yourself into an outmatched battle unnecessarily? I told you, I only wanted to look at it…" the opponent whined as he approached the fallen ace. "Honestly, that attachment of yours, look at what it got you. Unnecessary pain, trouble…that's it."

When King saw the blue child grab Acid Ace by the neck, he'd seen enough. He activated the Crimson Machine's defense system. However, the intruder's reaction forced his hand as well, as he had simply thrown Acid Ace up into the air and kicked him away, using his beaten body as a shield for the rapid fire that the machine was sending at him.

King couldn't help but muse at how brutal and ruthless the child was as he shut off the defense system to save his own boy. Really, he'd have been the perfect soldier for him, if he wasn't apparently an enemy. Time to activate the special defense measure, it seemed. With a snap of his fingers, the machine fired a beam of highly concentrated Crimson right at the boy. Whatever transformation he had on, the sheer amount of Crimson would surely destabilize him. Only Acid (when he wasn't fused with Shidou) and Joker could stand up to that much and it was only due to their natural programming, made specifically to control and use Noise and Crimson. And indeed, it seemed to be working, with the way the boy was screaming in pain as he was rooted to the spot.

Then suddenly, it changed. His screams of pain started to become a roar of determination. His body began to move, the boy began to curl in on himself. Then, with a loud crack, the boy flung out his arms and dispelled the Crimson surrounding him with what looked to be a good deal of effort. If he hadn't managed to call Joker to him in time to block the backlash, King, as well as Heartless behind him, would have had to deal with a severe case of Noise poisoning.

"Sir!" Speaking of Heartless, it looked like she had managed to finally procure a reading on him. "This child, the density of his Denpa…it's not normal, sir! There shouldn't be any way that so much could be packed into his small body. And he seems to exhibit a great deal of Noise resistance, as well!"

How? How had this child managed to throw off such a great deal of Noise? Did he have some means of controlling it as well? King was lucky to have such a deep well of fortitude and resolve, because only that would have been able to mask the panic he was feeling due to both those thoughts and the rather unsettling smirk that the intruder was now aiming at him.

"Heh. Impressive, I suppose. But that was nothing compared to that red meteor…"

Immediately, King returned the boy's words with a sharp glare and a scowl.

"What do you know of Meteor G?"

"Oh! You named it! How _cute._" And the child had the nerve to start giggling. "I guess that proves that you really are attached to it. I really did wonder, after all with all this strange substance collected, it seemed natural to assume it was connected to that meteor somehow. This place has the highest concentration of it in the whole world! Ahh, this really is the best place to find information on it, isn't it?"

Immediately King was angry at the clear disrespect the intruder was showing him, but it was soon replaced with confusion.

"You mean to tell me you are able to repel and resist grievous amounts of Crimson, and yet you don't even know what it is?"

"Crimson? That's a simple name."

"Foolish child…" King massaged his temples. Now that he wasn't fighting, it was apparent that the boy wasn't an actual enemy, per se, but merely curious and inquisitive…and had the power to find out what he wanted. Perhaps he could prove to be a valuable ally yet...

"Yes. Crimson is what Meteor G is made up of. Crimson itself is made up of Noise, which is waste product from our Denpa technology. However, paradoxically enough, if one breaks up a crystal of Crimson, it releases much more Noise than what was used to make it. This strange quality of Crimson actually makes it as a viable, yet dangerous, tool to control Noise with. This is why I have collected so much of it. I plan to take control of Meteor G, you see."

"Aahh, so that's how it is. Really…" The boy looked up, one side of his mouth quirked into an odd smile. "I do have a bit of a grudge against that red meteor…Meteor G, it was?" And then he scowled, still looking upwards. "I will never forget that sensation of numbness I felt when I passed near it. Making me feel powerless like that, being unable to achieve my goals…" The boy looked directly at King, his face relaxing into that same crooked smile from before.

"But you really don't have nearly enough of this Crimson stuff, do you? I can tell, even with my small exposure to Meteor G…it really is massive, isn't it? I would feel better, though, if it was under control…so if you want, I _could_ help you."

That was far too easy. He really was just a curious, inquisitive child, despite the obvious power he held and the malicious air around him. But, just to make sure the boy really was sincere…a little reluctance, make the child press his offer.

"I do not really see what assistance you could give, considering how little you know…"

"Oh, I'm a fast learner, trust me."

"So you claim. If you really do wish to help me, however, you must swear loyalty to me and my own goals. My operations are…delicate. I will not have some interloper expose them."

"Ah, you had plans for Meteor G?"

"Of course. One does not wish to control such a thing without a plan for it, hm?" This time, King merely raised an eyebrow at the child's amused giggling. "Meteor G's power and potential is vast, child. The human race as a whole is too stupid and foolish to realize it, instead they plot ways to destroy it or flee from it like scared animals. The people, no, this world…it needs a new ruler. One that will be able to brandish that power of the red shooting star, and claim it as their own to herald a new era."

"And that leader would be you, is it?" The boy giggled yet again.

"How astute of you, child. Will you aid me in my endeavors, or will you prove to be yet another obstacle?"

"Hmm…" The boy seemed lost in thought. "Well, I actually do agree with you on that point, sir. Humans fixate on the wrong things, and the world really could use the…change…" The boy smirked. "After all, I did have my reasons for choosing to leave Earth for so long…I guess that settles it, hm?"

The boy put a hand to his chest and bowed.

"My name is Rockman. I think we'll get along just fine, sir."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Heartless sighed to herself as she continued her own personal investigations. This new arrival into Dealer could have potentially put her plans into jeopardy. Before, it would have been easy to betray King when the time came. Joker was his only truly loyal pawn, after all, and he could easily be overpowered if Jack, Ace, and Tia put their minds to it. She was fairly sure she could have convinced them to, in time.

But now, a new piece had come into play. This Rockman character…did he also have ulterior motives? Or would he end up being truly loyal to King? If he did, there would be no escape. She knew that much.

She needed to know his motives. So she came to check up on him personally.

At the moment, the boy was settling in his new quarters. He was apparently recovering from the upgrade from a Transer to a Hunter VG. How long had he been away from the Earth, she wondered, if he had completely missed out on the Star Carrier upgrade in between? It was apparent that he had been human at one point, if he had possession of something like that. But he hadn't introduced himself with a human identity, and when he had been told that upgrading to a new terminal was necessary if he really did want to study Noise, and to be able to access Earth's Wave World without having to self-power his now defunct and outdated Transer (what power! To be able to self-power such a device without significantly draining his fighting skills, what sort of denpa stores did he have?), he expressed disgust at having to reverse his transformation, and requested privacy to do so. Had the boy truly spent all that time up in space, and never having undone his Denpa-Henkan once? Was he really truly human, now? She braced herself as she knocked politely on the door.

"Rockman-sama?" Her voice was demure and quiet, the perfect tone for addressing a superior. The tone that she had perfected, working for King all this time. The tone that she would use to get the information she wanted.

"Hai?"

He sounded tired.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"Mmm. Do what you want." And so she opened the door.

"Pardon my intrusion." Rockman certainly looked different now, what with the Transer on his arm having been changed for a Hunter VG, and his armor changed slightly to match. It was a sleeker, more efficient design.

"No, it's fine. No need to be so formal." She felt a little guilty for coming in once she spotted the bags under his eyes. When he wasn't in the midst of battle and flashing insane grins at her leader, he actually did look like a small child, and he certainly acted polite enough. "It's a little too tiring at the moment, to keep up appearances like this." There was a weak chuckle at that.

"I assume the upgrade has worn you out, Rockman-sama?"

"Mm, a little. Who knew that not eating proper food for so long would make you feel so tired, ah?" The boy giggled, apparently oblivious to Heartless' alarm.

"Not eating? Then, how-"

"Ah. Denpa beings, and that includes Denpa-humans too, can feed of other Denpa sources for nourishment. I've been absorbing the ambient energy from stars as I pass by them while travelling. You could say I've been eating stardust this whole time, ahahaha…"

"How is that filling or nourishing at all? You're still part human…"

"I'm not really sure. I guess my body's just kind of…adapted to it? I don't think I could eat normal food again now anyways, my body's not used to it…smelling it makes me a little sick, actually. Denpa isn't half bad, once you get used to it!"

Heartless felt somewhat terrible for those feelings of apprehension she had entertained previously. With those words, and the way he was swinging his legs back and forth, it really looked like he was just a young child with too much power in his hands and was changed for the worse because of it. What was he doing here, of all places?

"But really, you don't need to be so formal, like I told you. You can drop the pretenses."

"…I don't understand, Rockman-sama."

"Don't you?" And the boy grinned. It was a childish one to be sure, but she felt her apprehension return tenfold regardless.

"You like being here about as much as I do."

Her eyes widened. How-

"Ah, sorry, did I scare you? It's just…it's pretty obvious, you know? When you looked at Mr. King, called him 'sir,' I felt waves of disgust coming off you. You really don't like him, do you?"

"H…how can you…" For the first time in what felt like forever, Heartless felt her disguise slipping. She was one of the finest agents the world had to offer. She could slip into shady organizations in the blink of an eye, fit in as if she was always there. Her emotional control was the finest a human could make it. No one, not even the ever-loyal Joker, had suspected her. So how had she been found out by a young child, of all people?

"Oh, when you're in denpa form for as long as I have, you learn to sense things, you know? I've been a denpa being for so long that it feels like I'm more…attuned to the waves around me, I guess? So I could sense the distressed waves your body was giving off. Don't worry though! I don't think Mr. King knows! So it can be our little secret, if you want!"

Heartless could do nothing but nod at first. So, at the very least, Rockman was not loyal to Mr. King, and didn't seem like he would become so in the future. It took her a few moments to compose herself before she could ask her next question.

"So, if you don't like Mr. King, then why…?"

"Oh, he's useful. I really didn't like passing by Meteor G, you know? It hurt! And I want to go around the universe…I want to see it, you see, and I can't do that if there's more of this Noise stuff out there hurting me…so I really need to learn how to control it, or at least how to resist it better. That's why I'm doing this."

"So…do you truly not…"

"Mmm, well I don't _completely_ agree with Mr. King. The man's obviously insane, if I might say so. He keeps talking about himself like he's above other people when he's surrounded by people infinitely more powerful than him. Does he really think he can control something like Meteor G without somebody else trying to kill him? But he's a good resource, so I'll learn all I can from him."

"…I see. So, if theoretically, someone else did end up attempting to…unseat…him…"

"He's asking for it, really. I don't think he has anything protecting him except emotionally controlling his people and that can be broken or faked. You're proof enough, aren't you?"

Heartless couldn't help but chuckle.

"This is my codename for a reason, child."

"It fits. Anyways, I can't say I'll help you if you ever do try something. But I definitely won't be going against you. That's okay, right?"

"Better than I dared to hope for." Heartless bowed to him.

"Thank you for your time, Rockman-sama."

"It's fine, it's fine. And I told you, no need to be formal!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Joker really never had anyone look up to him before.

It was always him either being feared due to his power, or being regarded as a tool. He just wanted to use his power freely…that was all he wanted. But his creators at WAZA sealed that away. If Mr. King had not removed the locks on his Finalization, he would never have been able to live under such a suffocating presence. He was eternally grateful to Mr. King, ever since the man had given him and his brother, Acid, a purpose again. His purpose was to use that power whenever he could. To access that eternal power of Meteor G's server, and to allow Mr. King to unleash Meteor G's power on the undeserving world. But even then, Mr. King had always had a distant, working relationship with him. Oh, he doted on him, like he did the rest of his people, but there was always an implicit understanding between them that, as a Wizard, he should not expect more than the purpose he was given. And while he was grateful, he sometimes resented that he could not be allowed to feel more.

Then little Rockman came around, and Joker found himself assaulted with all sorts of questions. Meteor G had powers? How could Joker access them? Why was he made to access the meteor like that, and then discarded, he could have been a huge help! Was it something Rockman could learn? Could Joker tell him things about Noise and Crimson that the others couldn't, since Acid was still damaged (sorry about that, but it was self defense, honest!), and he and Acid must have had some special understanding of it since they used it so much?

It was strange, being looked up to as a sort of mentor. But Rockman did have a lot of potential in him, and teaching him the ways of Noise was a way for him to exercise his power, so Joker didn't mind too much. Over time, Joker even found Rockman's curiosity and willingness to learn somewhat gratifying. It was almost like another purpose.

Rockman could only do so much on his own, however, and King would only permit Rockman brief glimpses of the Noise Program, as he was still new to the group and trust would take time to earn. So over time, their sessions became less about actually using Noise and more trying to deconstruct the Noise Program on their own in an attempt to learn as much as possible. While the sessions were no less gratifying, it ended up being somewhat depressing seeing the program that made up his existence in the middle of being taken apart, even if it was only theoretically. It made having a purpose less meaningful if he thought about his entire being made up of being nothing but programming.

"So the main core components of this program were done by specified coding by WAZA scientists, and yet it was able to integrate super ancient technology from the Murian continent…amazing, that's really flexible! Or perhaps we've only just started rediscovering old theories and principles…"

"Mmn, that's correct."

"Ah…Ne, Joker-san?"

"Hm?"

"You haven't talked much these days. Is something wrong?"

"No…nothing."

"Are you sure?" And Rockman put down his notes, looking up at the big Wizard. "Because ever since we started talking about the Noise program instead of fighting with it, you don't have much to say…I thought you'd know lots, Joker-san."

"Ah…I do. It's just…disconcerting to talk about it, boy." Why was he saying this? He didn't even admit this sort of thing to King…

"Discon…it makes you feel bad talking about it? Why…?" And then Rockman's eyes widened. "Ah! You're made up of the Noise Program, aren't you? Talking about it is like talking about your body all the time…sorry, I guess that was kind of insensitive of me, asking you to help take yourself apart like that…"

"No, it's no problem." And Joker found himself patting the young boy on the head. "Using this program gives me a purpose, so I don't mind figuring out more about myself. I'll get used to it, eventually."

Rockman laughed a little as he found his hair being ruffled by the much larger hand, but then he looked up at Joker with a completely serious expression.

"Purpose?"

"Mm. I just don't want to exist for the sake of existing, child. I want a purpose. I want my life to mean something…"

"Can't you just do what you want, Joker-san?"

"It's not that simple, boy. Humans put so much value into what they do, every day. Everything to them is important. I have nothing like that, I only have this ability to control Noise and little else. So I want this to be important, hence why I serve Mr. King…"

"…Stupid! That's really stupid!" Rockman's voice was uncharacteristically angry, and Joker found himself surprised by the sudden vehement exclamation. His face retained its stoic expression, however, and Joker only raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say, child?"

"I said, that's stupid, Joker-san! Why do you want to be a human?"

"I never said…"

"Yeah, but you meant it! Everything you just said: Humans do this, they do that, I want to do that, I don't have that…it's really stupid, Joker-san. Humans put so much meaning into things, but in the end all it does is bring them pain. They give their lives meaning when they don't need to. By making everything important, when they lose it…it really hurts, Joker-san."

Rockman looked away, and then down, his face contorting into an almost ugly scowl.

"I turned back into a human when I upgraded my Transer…it really hurt, Joker-san. My body wanted food, it wanted water, it wanted sleep, it put all this meaning on something that wouldn't even get rid of it permanently, put meaning on something that I would have needed constantly if I was still a full human. Upgrading only took a few minutes, but those few minutes were the most painful…the worst pain I ever had to experience. Your body and mind constantly screaming at you `it's wrong, it's wrong, go fix it now,' and it'll do that even when you can't…I don't like it."

There were tears glinting at the edges of Rockman's eyes. Joker had never seen the little one lose his composure like this.

"T-the emotions are even worse, Joker-san. They keep coming back at the worst times, and they make everything feel even worse…even when I don't want to feel them, even when they would just hurt me, they're here, see?" He sniffed, and wiped at the corners of his eyes, but that only let the tears escape. "Humans always feel things like this in the end…it's not worth it, Joker-san, being a human. You want all the most worthless things, and insist on getting them, and you hurt yourself doing all this work to get them, and then they're inevitably gone, and you're sad."

Rockman gave up the pretense of hiding his tears, and looked up at Joker with an almost angry, despairing expression.

"You're so lucky, Joker-san! You don't have to feel these kinds of things, because you're not a human! I don't _want_ to be a human anymore! I don't _want_ to feel these kinds of things! They only bring pain and suffering! I don't want to turn back, never! I want to be like _you!"_

Joker was speechless as Rockman began crying again, his hands fruitlessly attempting to wipe his own tears away. He did nothing but place his hand on top of the child's head, wordlessly supporting him even though he was thinking. Rockman's words…they had some truth to them. How much anguish had his own search for a purpose brought him? The anger he felt at the WAZA scientists…it only made him burn inside. The working relationship he had with King…unfulfilling, left him feeling empty.

Perhaps this search for a purpose wasn't worth it. Perhaps it would be better to just use his abilities because he _could_, not because he _wanted_ to. It would certainly make things much easier.

"S…sorry…t-this isn't like me…"

"…It's alright, child."

They didn't get any more work done that day.

Rockman was his normal self by the next day, obnoxiously sardonic and clearly disrespectful to everyone he met other than King, Joker, and Heartless, and Joker couldn't help but wonder how much of the emotions he had seen displayed before yesterday were faked. How much had this child suppressed or eliminated his emotions in order to not be human anymore. How much being a human had hurt him up to this point.

And he wondered if what he witnessed yesterday was the last shred of Rockman's humanity finally breaking.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Tia and Jack's association with Rockman was…strained, at best. He had broken into their secret lair with little to no trouble, and had grievously injured Shidou, who was still recovering from their battle even now, a few weeks later. Tia hated seeing her secret lover in pain every time she came to visit him, and she knew that the battle had seemed to trigger some sort of painful revelation in his heart…and for the life of her, she couldn't figure it out! She hated that he was hurting and she didn't know how to help him.

And yet, instead of being given orders to take him out, Rockman was instead accepted into their group! Granted, despite his strength he was still lowest on the pecking order, but with the blatant disrespect he was allowed to get away with, and the freedom he was allowed…it was maddening! Why did King trust such a guy? Was he that desperate for strength that he would take on such a vicious child? Did he really want to one-up the Neo Mu Empire so badly?

Tia made sure to confront Rockman the very next day with her feelings on the matter. Jack came along as well, if only because it was rare to see his sister so immediately hostile with another person to the point that she'd lose control of her emotions in such a way. Then again, since that Shidou guy was involved…

His response to her outburst didn't help the situation, either.

"Oi, he attacked me first. I just wanted to take a closer look at the machine! It was just self-defense, honest!"

"Went a little far for _self-defense_, didn't you?"

"Well, he kept escalating it! Jeez…" Rockman rolled his eyes, muttering pointedly under his breath. "Ridiculous…letting your emotions cloud your judgment like that…."

"What was that?"

"Sis, he _does_ have a point. This isn't like you…"

"And since when did you try to be the reasonable one, eh, Jack?"

**"Oi, Tia, I think we've got something else to worry about here."**

**"Virgo's right, Jack. Lookit what that kiddy's got!"**

"What is it, Corvus?" Jack snapped as the orange and black crow-like alien materialized himself next to him. Tia resumed her normal cold and emotionless manner as the woman-like alien materialized next to her.

**"That's it, isn't it, in your chest? The FM-ian's ultimate weapon, the Andromeda Key?" **Virgo demanded, anger in her voice.

While Tia and Jack both showed some degree of shock at the revelation, Rockman merely raised an eyebrow.

"You recognize it?"

**"Of course we do! What do you take us for, idiots? There's no way we wouldn't recognize something from back home!"** Corvus growled.

"Home?" Rockman narrowed his eyes. He had a suspicion, but War-Rock's tired voice pinging from the Hunter confirmed it.

**"Those two are Virgo and Corvus, kid. The most wanted criminals from Planet FM. They had already fled the planet some time before FM started its attack on Earth in order to escape charges. Guess this is where they were hiding out."**

"Ah…so there were survivors. Pity."

**"Survivors? You mean to say-those rumors we heard as we traveled to this planet-was it really-" **Virgo spluttered.

"Aah. I destroyed Planet FM." Rockman chuckled softly, even as both Virgo and Corvus started shouting various expletives at him. "Maa, maa, why are you so bothered about it? You couldn't go back there anyways, not without experiencing more misery. You didn't need to worry about a connection with that planet anymore. It shouldn't bother you at all. Best to cut off all ties with it, eh?"

**"Why?"** Virgo shouted at him, and both Tia and Jack were both shocked and unsettled at how little the younger boy seemed to regard their anger. Instead, Rockman merely shrugged.

"I had the Andromeda Key, so I might as well have gone after the controller, right? Cepheus was a weak-willed fool…he wasn't using the power properly."

**"Damn straight he was,"** Corvus couldn't help but chuckle against his will. He stopped when Virgo glared at him, and Rockman took it as an opportunity to continue talking.

"Besides, War-Rock had his own grudge against the FM King…I might as well oblige my partner, right?" Rockman chuckled, even as Virgo and Corvus reeled back in shock at the name.

**"War-Rock…Rockman…I _knew_ it! You really are fused with that traitor, aren't you?"** Virgo demanded, to which Rockman only responded with a shrug and a smirk.

**"He-ey, Lil' Rocky!"** Corvus chuckled. **"Remember those old days? Never could beat us, could you? Why ain't ya getting out here and showing yourself, huh? Scared?"**

"Maa, maa, don't bully him, you two. War-Rock's always tired these days…ne," And here, Rockman looked down at his Hunter. "Do you really not want to talk to old friends?"

War-Rock materialized himself at those words. The Hunter's upgrades had affected him as well, making his posture much more upright. But he did look tired, even faded, somehow. His denpa waves were not that vibrant neon green they had used to be, instead they had paled to a much lighter shade, as well as the rest of his blue armored body. Bright green glowing rings adorned his wrists and neck, and Virgo and Corvus wondered what this change in their partner meant.

**"There was a time when I'd retaliate to your words with anger, try to fight you, maybe."** And War-Rock shook his head.

**"But now, I'll just say one thing and one thing only. Tread carefully around us. _Please._"** And with that, he dematerialized without another word.

Virgo and Corvus were left to ponder the strange changes in that wimpy yet plucky alien they had come to enjoy picking on back home while Rockman spoke.

"Well, you heard him. You see, I'm not afraid to do what I need to do to achieve my goals. Whether it's fighting you, working with you, or listening to that fool of a man's commands…I'll do it. Understood?"

"I'm surprised you would admit that you think of Mr. King as a fool so easily," Tia responded, raising an eyebrow. His resolve was something to admire, at least.

"Yeah, you should be careful what you say around here, newbie!" Jack sneered, only to have Rockman return the gesture.

"Oh, and am I to assume you _don't_ feel the same? What a shame. I thought you two were _intelligent._"

"What was that?" Jack roared, ready to charge at Rockman. He was only stopped by his sister's hand on his shoulder.

"If you don't think highly of Mr. King, why do you remain here?"

"He's useful. He's got something that I need, and I plan on getting it. I assume you two feel the same way, or surely you would have tried to attack me by now."

That got a smirk out from both Tia and Jack.

"Well, what do you know," Jack grinned.

"Indeed. It does seem like we all have similar viewpoints on our situation."

"Mmhm. So, there's no need to be hostile, eh? We can get along!" Rockman chuckled.

"That really depends," Jack smirked. "So, Rockman. You say you're willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goal, eh?"

"Of course."

"So then…how do you feel about mass destruction?" Tia widened her eyes at how blunt Jack was being, if not about their exact plans, then the ideas behind them. She was even more shocked when Rockman responded with a twisted smirk that rivaled Jack's own.

"Oh, Jack…that's one of my favorite words."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Shidou had never felt so helpless before. He thought that his current situation was bad enough. Being stuck in Dealer, with no hope for the future...what could he do? Dealer was currently still underground, which meant that the Satella Police and WAZA were unaware and unprepared for the threat they posed. And there didn't seem to be any force that could stand up to them, so long as they held the threat of Crimson...other than the Neo Mu Empire, who was just as bad.

At one point, he had fancied himself a hero. At first, working with Mr. King, doing everything the man told him to…it was liberating. He was working for his father, his savior, and doing anything for him would have been fine…

But growing up now, seeing him for what he really was…he felt trapped. He had seen firsthand the things his father had done, the threat he now posed. He had been with them for too long. But there wasn't anywhere else he could go. If only the world had a hero who the forces could rally around.

He had thought he could be that hero once. Snatch away Tia and Jack and free them as well, then call everyone under his name and lead them against Dealer. But his Denpa-Henkan with Acid was imperfect, and he could never convince Tia and Jack to leave. If he couldn't do that, how could he even…

And now, this new person had come. Rockman. Even though he was a more skilled fighter, Rockman had the sheer power necessary to throw off and resist his attacks long enough to outlast him. Only Joker had that sort of power, as Acid's 'brother' of sorts, the only other denpa being made to fully draw on Meteor G's power. Having another fighter on par with him and Joker on their side…it really made Shidou feel helpless. It didn't help that the boy's emotional state was…questionable, at best, judging by what he had seen during the fight.

Rockman had been constantly laughing at Acid Ace's efforts, took emotional potshots, and struck at vulnerabilities whenever possible. The boy was a ruthless fighter, and seemed to lack a moral compass as well. The fact that he had somehow managed to work his way into Dealer despite having attacked him and blatantly intruded the base was even more worrisome. What did he have planned, how could he have so effectively convinced King to spare his wrath?

"A-ano…"

Well, speak of the devil. Rockman was poking his head into Shidou's room right now. "P-pardon my intrusion…"

"No…come in." Perhaps this was a good time to finally get a lock on where Rockman stood.

"Ah…I just really wanted to apologize. For, um, earlier. I just really get into the fight, so I kind of got…um, carried away…"

He really did look like a bashful little kid.

"Nah, it's fine. We're all on the same side now, aren't we? Come in. We can start over, no biggie."

"U…un!" And Rockman came to sit in a chair next to Shidou's bed, constantly swinging his legs back and forth once he was seated. "So, you're Shidou-san, right?"

"Aah, that's it. And you're Rockman."

"Mmm-hm!"

"So, Rockman, what made you really want to stay, then? Not many people would take up on King's…generous offers." No one ever accused Shidou of beating around the bush.

"Surprising, isn't it?" And Rockman giggled. "I'm just really interested in Noise and Crimson, Shidou-san. It hurts being around it, you know? I want to be able to travel around the universe safely, and I can't do that with Noise being around…"

What an innocent reason for getting involved in such a terrible gang.

"…Rockman. Do you really have to come here to do such a thing? There have to be other places that you could learn of Noise, and Crimson, isn't there?"

"Mmm, I guess. It's all over the world. But this place is where there's the most of it. And King wants to take control of Meteor G, which is what is giving me trouble. So this is the best place for me to achieve my goals, even if I don't really like King all that much…"

There it was. He admitted it. So easily as well…so perhaps, just maybe…

"Rockman."

"Ah?"

"What do you think about being able to leave?"

"Leave?"

"You have that strength, Rockman. You don't need to tie yourself down here. You can leave whenever you want. You should get out of here, before it's too late. Before you tie yourself down. You, me, Tia, and Jack…we could all get out of here, together."

"Is this some sort of joke, Shidou-san?"

"No…no, it really isn't. This is something I've wanted to do for so long…but I can't do it. I can't leave. I'm not strong enough, not on my own."

"And Tia and Jack don't want to go either, Shidou-san."

"…Either?"

"Mmhm. I don't really want to leave, Shidou-san. Like you said, I can leave whenever I want. I'm not so weak as to let myself be…_tied down_ by anything." The boy smiled at that, and while it was a gentle expression, it left Shidou feeling unsettled.

"…Do you really believe that?"

"Of course! You're free to try on your own, though, Shidou-san. Of course, if you do…"

"If I do?"

"Well, you see, it's really all to my advantage that Dealer keeps being underground. If you get away, you're a security risk." And then Rockman giggled, as if he was telling a rather interesting joke.

"If you run away, I'm going to have to kill you, Shidou-san! Of course, I don't really want to do that, 'cause that would make Tia sad. It looks like she's attached to you, anyway. Dunno why, but that's how it is!"

Shidou could only stare as Rockman continued to giggle like a young child. How could he talk about things so easily, while keeping up such an innocent face? It wasn't natural. It wasn't human.

Rockman was a legitimate threat. He had waited too long to run. He should have tried, instead of waiting for a hero that would have never come. Now he really was trapped.

The laughing fit eventually ended, and Rockman stood up and stretched, sighing happily.

"Well, I'm glad we could clear the air between us, Shidou-san. No hard feelings for earlier? We're on good terms now, right?"

"…A…aah. We are."

"Great!" Rockman clapped his hands together and smiled. "Well, I hope we can talk again soon! This was a nice chat!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Rockman chuckled silently to himself as he worked on his own blueprints for a Noise Program based on the notes he had cobbled together with Joker. Dealer was full of nothing but traitors and fools. It would be easy to get what he needed, and keep the group apart so that they wouldn't be a threat. When everyone had their own agenda, it was easy to please all of them.

Oh, he didn't _lie_ to them at all. He did think the world could use a bit of destruction and chaos. He really did want to see the rest of the universe. And he really did want to learn how to control Noise. He just didn't tell them _why._ They didn't care to ask. They simply assumed he felt the same as they did, saw what they wanted to see. Stupid people and their foolish expectations…what pain it would bring them in the future.

It was a shame, though, that it was taking longer than he hoped to master Crimson. He was missing a vital piece of the puzzle. They only had a few samples of Murian technology, too few to even think about tinkering with without worrying about the risk of losing them. Only King was permitted to even handle them. It was a shame, too, as it really seemed like they would need it, if they were going to control something as vast as Meteor G. If only more Murian relics would surface…but even if they did, the Neo Mu Empire would have likely gotten to them first.

The Neo Mu Empire…they were the real hitch in his plans. King had often lamented that they had no real means on knowing what they were up to, as they were just as secretive as Dealer and so were just as difficult to find.

Still…now that he thought about it, perhaps he could come up with an idea to deal with that pesky group as well…it could only be to his advantage, right? Maybe he could find something to further his own studies while dealing with the obstacles they presented.

It was something to think about for the future, Rockman supposed.

* * *

**[A/N]: This chapter gave me unexpected feelings for a lot of Dealer members, especially Joker. I didn't exactly expect to feel bad for him. Then again, if his breakdown had been given a bit more of a backstory, perhaps he'd be more sympathetic. If it hadn't come out of nowhere, well...maybe more people would feel bad for him. It's an interesting concept, anyway, a Wizard that wanted to be human, but couldn't be, and had his only worthwhile ability sealed away by the very people who created him for that purpose. After all, he was originally assigned a Transcode (according to the Official Complete Works, he was Transcode 000!), so he very well might have been slated for a larger role in the story. Aaah, what a shame...**

**Also yes, Shidou/Ace is still part of Dealer. My reasoning for Ace never leaving Dealer in this verse is that there is no heroic actions by Rockman to inspire him. After all, due to the second game's events, Rockman becomes world-famous as a hero. In this verse, without that extra inspiration, Shidou doesn't leave Dealer and stays on out of helplessness and an inability to really get over his attachment to his father figure. Or, I assume that King was a father figure to Ace, anyway, the same as he was to Tia and Jack via his secret orphanages-to-raise-children-soldiers-thing he had going on. Also, since Shidou never leaves Dealer, he doesn't really bond with Acid, so when Joker finally leaves for Dealer, he convinces Acid to tag along, leaving the Satella Police in a real bind. This only contributes to the helplessness that Shidou feels, as he thinks there really isn't anyone to stand up to Dealer.**


	13. Infiltrating the Lost Empire

**[A/N]: This chapter's coming in a bit early! I got told about some last minute plans for the holiday weekend, so I'm updating it early since I won't have a chance to post tomorrow.**

**And to the anon reviewer: no, of course I don't find your reviews annoying! They're actually rather amusing and I like seeing that people care enough about the story to share their thoughts and ideas. I honestly don't know where you got the whole "Murians absorb EM beings" thing though. War-Rock is fading, yes, but it's more due to him losing his willpower and sense of self. So instead of completely disappearing, he's slowly becoming a hollow shell of his former self. And yes, the Neo Mu Empire is semi-successful, as is Dealer. It's not hinted at very strongly, but there is an underground "war" of sorts going between them, beyond the eyes of the law. How will Rockman take advantage of this, if at all? You'll see now!**

* * *

**_Chapter 11_**

**_Infiltrating the Lost Empire_**

"Boy! What on Earth have you been doing with Joker this whole time?"

Ah. It seemed that King had finally stumbled onto some of his notes on the Noise Program that Rockman had…accidentally…left lying around.

About time.

"A-ano, since you wouldn't let me look at the Noise Program, I wanted to see what I could do on my own…"

"Don't try that cute act with me, child. I know how vicious you can be. What are you planning?"

King sighed as Rockman only started giggling. The boy really did have no sense of respect. Then again, he apparently treated Heartless, Joker, and himself with more respect than the rest of Dealer. The biting remarks that he and Jack were heard to exchange, in particular, left him wondering where either of them learned such language. And it wasn't as if the boy wouldn't answer. He would, eventually. King just had to be patient.

"I'm not really planning anything, King. I'm just too curious for my own good. That Crimson Machine's room really unsettles me, you know? My head buzzes whenever I'm in there, there's just so much Crimson there! And that got me thinking that it would be nice if we didn't have to use so much Crimson just to control more Crimson, you know? It's wasteful, and dangerous, and it could easily go wrong in lots of ways! We need something that's more…you know, efficient, I guess? I mean, theoretically, if one crystal of Crimson ends up releasing much more Noise than was used to create it, then doesn't that mean Crimson itself generates more Noise? Couldn't we use that somehow as a power source? Or at least, find a way to get Crimson to make more than it does? Then we wouldn't have to keep so much around, and you could control Meteor G more efficiently…it's not impossible, is it?"

"No, child, you have a good idea there. It's something I've been trying to tackle for a while. Your notes in particular are actually quite insightful for someone who does not have the whole picture. But…"

"There's a piece missing, isn't it?" Rockman sulked. "I just can't get my theories to work on paper, King! It's like whatever the Murian technology did to fill in the missing gap wasn't…normal! Like it breaks the very laws of physics! Or it uses some sort of principle that we haven't discovered yet! Geez…I want to see some of these supposedly powerful relics…" The boy sighed, and if King didn't know better, he'd have been taken in by Rockman's antics. As it was…

"Child, you know very well that you are not allowed to touch what little we have, even if you are proving yourself to be quite the young scientist."

"Aw…" Rockman turned to leave.

"Wait." When had Joker arrived? King looked at him, and so did the young boy.

"If you will not allow him to see the Murian relics…will you at least let him attempt to use the incomplete copy of the Noise Program?"

King was shocked. So was Rockman too, apparently. It was the first time that King had seen an expression cross the boy's face that was not either purely childish or something twisted.

"Joker, you are the last one that I would think of saying such a thing. You'd best have a good reason for suggesting something like this."

"I have worked with the boy nearly almost as soon as he arrived here, sir. He displays a great deal of potential for not only simply resisting Noise, but being able to control it as well. His understanding of denpa is practically innate, and due to this he actually seems to be able to understand the Noise on a more intimate level than most, King."

King raised an eyebrow. Joker was not one to dish out praise, even when it was obviously deserved. What sort of potential did the child truly display, if it prompted this sort of response from his normally stoic Wizard?

"To say he understands it on an intimate level…you would rate him with the same potential as yourself, and Acid."

"I would."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes. I believe the boy may be able to Finalize."

"F…final…ize?" said aforementioned boy murmured. For once, it actually sounded somewhat natural. "But I don't naturally have that kind of ability…"

"Your body has proven to be exceptional at adapting to new denpa, Rockman. That combined with your high resistance to Noise, as well as your unnaturally dense and seemingly endless reservoirs of denpa, may just allow you to force your body into learning how to do such a thing."

"Joker-san…"

While Rockman was looking up at Joker with something almost akin to awe, King pondered the possibility he had before him.

"So you truly think that Rockman can draw on the meteor's power? Would you risk losing the imperfect copy we have constructed? It only has the barest of Murian technology in it, unlike yours and Acid's, but it should be functional. However, it took much effort to reconstruct that much without losing you two. I do hope you realize how much work will be lost if we give this to the boy and things do not work out as you expect."

"I believe the investment will be worth it, sir."

"…Very well. Then we shall run a trial period. Rockman, you will report to me any defects you can detect with the processing programs, understood?"

"E-eh? Yes…"

Underneath his startled expression, Rockman was internally cackling with glee.

_Perfect._

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Waah, this power…!" Rockman was looking over himself with an amazed expression, even as Joker and King looked on with surprise. Joker had calculated that Rockman would be able to draw on the meteor's power…but not to this extent. To have two separate forms to finalize into! Granted, it was likely influenced by the fact that the program had been used by extracting data from both Joker and Acid, but the fact that the boy could access both of them spoke volumes of his strength.

Still, there were limitations. While the boy did have access to two very powerful attacks, overall his capabilities in these forms were actually weaker than what Joker and Ace specialized in. This was remedied with him still being able to access Battle Cards in these forms, but Rockman complained that the Meteor Server completely overwrote his normal folder, which got strange at times and was awkward to work with. And he could never expect the same folder, either, apparently it would change depending on how much Noise he used to finalize, which was inefficient and unpredictable. It was good for a surprise finisher, maybe, but Finalization would never become the mainstay for Rockman that it was for Joker and Acid.

However, the newly discovered ability to Noise Change was a surprising twist. Rockman claimed that he heard a voice speaking to him, pulling out his memories of previous opponents and using them to change his body. He thought it could have been Meteor G's voice, which Joker confirmed to be true. This sparked another wave of ideas in Rockman, making him wonder if Noise was sentient in and of itself, or was Meteor G itself a large living Noise cluster, like a large Noism? He really wanted to be able to answer these questions, how Noise could affect him this way, but without the Murian technology that seemed to have a more intimate, visceral understanding of Noise working within its systems, they had soon hit a block.

"Jeez! I wish we could find some way to find out what they know…" Rockman sulked. It looked stranger than normal, since he was still finalized in the form they had dubbed 'Red Joker' for the time being. He apparently preferred it since it made him look more like the Wizard that he had dubbed his mentor. "Don't you at least have a spy, or some kind of informant, or something?"

"Such a person would be invaluable, child. But just as we know of all the current members of the Neo Mu Empire, they know of all of ours. With them being just as secretive as we are, we know little else about them, same as us. The only reason we know of each other at all is because our goals clash with each other. They cannot get close to us because our extensive use of Noise Waves to move around silently makes our movements hard to trace, and we cannot get close to them because they have somehow sequestered themselves in the depths of the Bermuda Maze, which scrambles all tracking equipment and is near impossible to navigate if you do not know the path. We are effectively at a stalemate."

"Ah…are you sure they know about _all_ of us, King?"

"What are you implying, child?"

"Well, I'm really new, right? And I haven't really run missions for you yet, since I've been studying Noise with Joker this whole time. So maybe they don't know about me?"

"…They likely do not. But what makes you think you could find them, if we cannot?"

"Well, I found your base, right?" Rockman giggled at the irritated expression King made in return. "I could use the Noise Waves to sneak around, and maybe sense something in the Bermuda Maze…with this incomplete Noise Program installed in me, and my unknown status, I could look like some sort of secret escaped experiment, or a higher up in Dealer that betrayed you. If I feed them minor, unimportant real information mixed up with fake important-sounding information, then wouldn't it throw them off, make things easier? And then I might be able to bring back analysis on all the different things, and maybe even sneak away some…it's worth a shot, isn't it? You can't say I wouldn't be able to defend myself if something went wrong, now."

Rockman looked up at King with the expectant expression of a five year old waiting for candy. It looked even stranger than his normal childish faces, due to the irises of his eyes glowing bright red with the Crimson running through his body. The expression actually managed to amuse the old man somewhat, even if it was only due to the fact that he knew how much the child loved to adapt such facial expressions when he was around.

"If I didn't know any better, child, I would think that you've been planning this for a long time."

"It's possible!"

The boy was utterly shameless. No wonder he seemed to fit into Dealer so well.

"If you think you can pull it off, I'd be very impressed. You need some sort of side project; after all, our scientists are starting to get annoyed by how often you keep showing them up. And you constantly taking time away from Joker's schedule to work with him, while beneficial and insightful, is starting to become a problem as well. Besides, children like you do become fidgety without being able to get out and do something…" King sighed. He couldn't believe he was doing this, assigning such a delicate mission to a potentially unstable child he had barely welcomed into his ranks.

"Your first mission, then, is to discover the Neo Mu Empire's hideout. Infiltrate them if you can, if you cannot, try to get away with as much as you can. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

This could either go extremely well, or utterly blow up in his face.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Rockman smirked as he wandered about the Bermuda Maze. He couldn't believe how easy it was to convince King to let him go. The man really was a self-important fool. And this new power he received…perhaps he could figure out a way to integrate it into Andromeda as well. It would certainly make it easier than to personally convert everything into denpa so that Andromeda could eat it.

Well, he couldn't do any of that, not until he could find out more about Mu. He could feel a deep well of power from inside this maze, but it was hard to distinguish its location. It was if as it had spread its power out everywhere into the maze itself. And the place kept leading him around in circles. Perhaps he should start over in a different path.

Rockman tore open a Noise Wave and leapt inside. The Noise Waves were another thing he intended to study. They were a place where logic came to be broken. How could one travel such a short distance in this world, and yet pop up so far away in the real world? It boggled the mind. But if he could figure out how to utilize them perfectly…it would make travelling the universe so much easier, wouldn't it?

He leapt out of the Noise Wave…and ended up on top of a mechanical floating base that had been sequestered in the deepest depths of the Bermuda Maze. Well. This certainly didn't look like anything he had seen so far. And it looked modern. Perhaps this was the Neo Mu Empire's base. Rockman didn't waste any time slipping in through the Denpa airspace once he found a suitable portal.

He found himself in a circular room, filled with screens showing various places around the world. The room itself felt as if it just radiated power. Something important was being kept here.

"Empty!" So there was someone here. He should have known. It sounded like a woman's voice. "Deal with this intruder!"

Well. So that's how they were going to play, was it? That only made infiltration that much easier. Let them see what he was capable of.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Doctor Orihime had been absolute in her confidence that she was virtually unstoppable. She had the three OOParts in her possession. She had both Empty and Solo working with her to revive Mu. All that was left was to find it.

But now, she was shocked to find Empty being overwhelmed by this intruder. With his ability to command viruses, and his own powerful electric attacks, he could face a variety of enemies and destabilize many denpa beings with merely the strength of his electricity. On the few times that they had clashed, Empty had been able to stand on par with several of Dealer's warriors.

This child, however…his denpa was too dense, too powerful to be destabilized so easily. And he was able to meet the onslaught of viruses by constantly transforming to match, apparently using an ability called a 'Noise Change.'

But when the boy pulled out a Finalization, she was convinced. That was the same thing that Joker and Acid Ace would do. This boy was a member of Dealer, and immediately a high-priority threat that must be eliminated. With his strength and abilities, perhaps he was sent as a tool to weaken the Neo Mu Empire! That must not be allowed!

She stood, letting the curtain around her fall back and reveal herself. Around her floated the three OOParts of the Beserk, Shinobi, and Dinosaur tribes, shielding her from stray attacks. She had the OOParts focus their power, then fire it all in a single concentrated beam aimed at Rockman.

As she had hoped, it broke him away from landing a finishing blow on Empty. What she didn't expect was for him to pull a second Finalization in order to do so, changing from a form that resembled Joker to one that resembled Acid Ace in order to fly away from the attack. This gave him an aerial position of strength while fleeing. Surprisingly clever for what appeared to be a specifically crafted weapon.

"You! You're one of them, aren't you, Dealer scum!"

"Oh? Found me out quickly, haven't you?" The boy giggled, seemingly unconcerned with the display of power from the OOParts. This was worrying. If he really was sent to destroy them, then…

"But, I guess that means you don't have to worry, ne?" At that, the child landed and undid the Finalization, apparently not in the mood to finish Empty off.

"I fail to see how a member of an enemy faction managing to break into my base means that I should not be worried."

"Well, Dealer's full of nothing but traitors and fools, isn't it?" The boy grinned, and it was a twisted expression that someone his age shouldn't have ever made. "That means I'm one or the other as well, and either one can only be a benefit to you, can it not?"

Doctor Orihime raised an eyebrow, even as she walked over to Empty in order to restore him. The fact that Rockman didn't even so much as flinch in retaliation made her wonder what he was here for.

"If you would be a fool?"

"Then you could easily outsmart me, _Doctor_."

What biting wit. Clearly, the child was not one of the foolish masses, despite following an idiotic man like King. Relying on something so fickle as a meteor to control the Earth! Something steady, permanent, like a god…all knowing and all powerful, now _that_ was the way to gain power.

"And if you would be a traitor?"

"Then I would have no problem assisting you over them, for the right price, of course."

"You have quite the audacity, boy, to speak to me that way."

"I may be forgiven for my arrogance by pointing out that while you hold such artifacts of power, whatever they may be, they are not part of you and so you are still a human, Doctor. I could easily kill you, considering that I am not."

"And yet you don't." This child…he really did have a knack for bargaining. He knew how to press for any advantages he had.

"No, I don't. Because you have information about Noise technology that I want. And I, as a member of Dealer, have information on its inner workings that you want."

"And why should I give any sensitive information to a member of Dealer?"

"Because, like I said, Dealer is full of traitors and fools. A fool would not be able to use the information properly. And a traitor would not allow the information to benefit Dealer in any way possible."

Rockman giggled yet again. "Of course, I could just kill you here. But I don't want to, because then I'd be limited to whatever information you've collected as opposed to the potential information you _could_collect. And that would be a shame. Besides, you're the only ones stopping King from going through with his idiotic plans. Honestly, trying to control a meteor with brute force…ridiculous! A meteor is a one shot sort of thing, and it's a threat he can't really pull through with, not without destroying the people he wants to rule over! And the methods he's using…they're inefficient and dangerous. Trying to control the world simply because he thinks he can command a rock in space…tchah! Really, all it would take is someone calling him out on his bluff and then taking him out when he's too busy spluttering. He's just too distant from the source of power he's controlling."

She heard the clear disgust in his voice. He hated King, that much was certain. But still.

"Your friend King and I have similar goals. How do I know you won't regard me as a disposable fool as well?"

Rockman grinned.

"Oh, I don't know myself. But do you think I would be so…open…if I regarded you as someone I could fool? What's your reasoning, eh? Not many people decide one day that they're simply just going to rule the world, you know. I really do hope you're not cut from the same cloth as King…"

"Of course I wouldn't be. After all, my method doesn't rely on _fools_. As a matter of fact, it relies on making sure that the foolish are ruled by the intelligent."

"Well, the human race as a whole really is foolish. They fixate on all the most ridiculous things and merely end up hurting themselves and each other doing so…so in that respect, I can agree with you, Doctor."

"Really, now?"

"Well, of course. Granted, I don't have that much of an attachment to the human race as a whole. I'm just here to learn about Noise, so that I can continue on with my travels safely…so really, I don't care what you do with them. But King's really an idiot, and I can't stand idiots. And I've gotten pretty much all I need from him."

"So why not just do away with him completely?"

"I wouldn't have him as a bargaining chip with you." Rockman smiled that twisted smirk of his again. "Besides, he may be a fool, but some of the ideas he has actually work quite well with what little Murian technology he's stolen from you. If you could reconstruct those, it would only amplify your power, would it not? He's really using your legacy to fulfill his own personal dreams after all."

"Hmmph. At least you're honest about your own goals."

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like I'd be getting in your way, anyways. I just want to be rid of Earth and go travelling." Rockman shrugged. "So, how about it? I was told to act as a double agent anyway, so I might as well use it as an opportunity to legitimately get away from the man. So, I feed you the information he doesn't want me to feed you, maybe find some way to retrieve the Murian artifacts he stole from you, you help me feed him false information, you are able to beat him and I gain the Noise mastery necessary for me to leave Earth. We both win here."

"You really are an odd one. How blunt you are! Then again, I expect that you can afford to be that way." At that moment, her repairs on Empty were complete, and he rose again. "What do you think, Empty?"

"My sensors detect no distress in his waves, my lady. He is not lying to you."

"Hmm. I see. And the information you can secure for me will be worth this risky endeavor?"

"What, my offer isn't enough for you? You really are a hard bargainer…" Rockman laughed. "But really, King values me enough to not only keep my identity hidden from you, but to equip me with his only reconstructed Noise Program, despite it being incomplete. Trust me, I can get quite some valuable information for you…and you'll want to use it now. The group has never been more fractured. Everyone has their own goals and motivations, and they can all easily be turned against each other, except possibly Joker…I'm still working on him, really. The man will be left with little to no support once you are ready to make your move, Doctor."

Doctor Orihime raised an eyebrow.

"You have prepared quite some time for this, haven't you?"

"I like to think ahead, Doctor." Orihime laughed at that.

"It is a shame that you plan on leaving Earth so soon, child. You are a person of talent, one who should rule over the foolish."

"I'm afraid that I really don't have interest in that sort of thing."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Hyde couldn't believe it. All these years, he had been working endlessly to make himself useful to Doctor Orihime. Yet, despite all his successes, he had yet to be welcomed into her inner circle. He had been allowed to see her true face, to be sure, but yet he was no closer to being allowed to form a BrotherBand with her, nor was he allowed on the more private and exclusive missions run by either Solo or Empty. Did she truly not believe in his strength?

And then, a tiny little boy was accepted into their group. A young child! And instead of being sent around on grunt work, like him, he seemed to be accepted right away into the inner circle. He conferred with Doctor Orihime about new theories on Murian artifacts and information he had managed to steal away from Dealer. He went with Empty on Murian artifact retrievals. And he even occasionally went looking for the seal of Mu itself! This was Solo's work and Solo's alone. Nobody went with Solo, ever! And yet this boy had managed to somehow get in on the most important job, without apparently aggravating Solo at all, if the teenager even knew that there was another member researching the Bermuda Maze.

How? How could a young boy-and a traitor at that-earn so much prestige within such a small window of time? It wasn't fair! It wasn't right! The boy was clearly using some sort of trickery. Doctor Orihime would be in danger if she continued to let him in any closer!

He became Phantom Black, and confronted Rockman just outside the inner chamber.

"Boy…"

"Ah! Hello! Sorry, I don't remember your name, I don't see you all too often, you know, ehehehe…"

Those words only served to fuel Phantom Black's resentment and anger.

_"Why?"_

"Eh? Well, I guess it's because I'm always being sent out to do things, it's either me being at Dealer, or with Empty-san, or-"

"Not _that!_" Phantom Black got some small satisfaction at seeing the little boy jump at his sudden interruption. "You…how have you managed to gain so much of Doctor Orihime's approval?"

"Oh?" And here, Rockman suddenly gave him a vicious, mocking smirk that was at complete opposites with his cheerful, almost innocent words just a few moments before. "I suppose it's because I actually bring in _results._"

"I…I have brought in results as well! I…"

"But you're not bringing them in now, are you? Or at least, not at a satisfactory magnitude. Why would we pay attention to your past records? Whatever you did cannot be changed. It's in the past. There's no need to be attached to previous achievements. Glory will not aid you in your present endeavors. And results _right here and now_ is what the Doctor wants. You, wallowing around in your self-pity and your previous accomplishments…the way you are now; you are no use to her."

"You-!" Phantom Black snarled angrily, even more so when he saw that the only reaction that garnered from Rockman was amused laughter.

"Why does the truth hurt so much? Are you really that attached to your image of success, your lies and your self-delusion? Why would you do such a thing? That only leaves you open for more pain and misery when the truth eventually comes out…I thought Doctor Orihime didn't tolerate _fools_."

That was the final straw. To be called a fool was the worst insult, as it was the one thing that Doctor Orihime hated. He was no fool! He wouldn't be, if he still served her! That devil child…he would not see the light of day again!

"Stick Sword!" The child would never see it coming. He had attacked too soon for him to react, surely, and without warning…

"Illegal Card: _Break Saber._" With a single slice, and without the slightest bit of effort, Rockman had somehow reacted and was not only able to slice clean through Phantom Black's sword-like cane, but even gouge a deep wound in his chest…how?

"Hah. People like you are all the same. You would rather lash out than listen to the truth, than feel more pain. You struggle against the inevitable. Why?"

Rockman chuckled, and brought the sword up. He smiled that innocent cherubic grin he had used before, the smile that looked absolutely devilish now that the glowing, spiraling sword was held up against his own cheek.

"I think you need to learn the futility of your actions…"

The fight that happened afterwards was short and brutal. Phantom Black had not gotten in a single blow. Rockman had not outright attacked him. He had merely countered all of his attacks with minimal effort. The end result was Phantom Black lying face up on the floor, his body numb and unfeeling, and Rockman standing over him, that same eerie, unsettling smile on his face.

Phantom Black could only watch and let out a weak choking noise when the boy gently placed a foot on his neck.

"Look at how worthless your struggles are. Compared to the rest of us, you're weak. And yet you dare to cling onto some semblance of belonging, trying to work your way into fitting in…what do these trials get you? A pat on the back? Some words of recognition? Tch. Pointless. Best to just roll over and accept your lot in life, isn't it?"

Phantom Black wanted to retort, to scream out denials. To prove that his efforts weren't worth nothing. But he couldn't bring up the energy to speak. Just trying to breathe made Rockman only add pressure to his neck, ever so slowly. He let out more choking noises, feeling them slowly weaken and fade away as Rockman continued to press his foot down…

"Having fun, aren't you, Rockman?"

That voice…to see him like this…

"D-do-cto-r…O-ori-hi…me…" His voice was nothing more than a weak croaking…

"Ah, Doctor." Why was the boy so calm? He was caught attacking his own side! _Why didn't Doctor Orihime say anything?_

"What are you doing?" _Finally…_

"Ah, he attacked me, Doctor. I thought you'd appreciate me taking the opportunity to be rid of this useless _parasite._"

Parasite? No. He wasn't just a parasite…Phantom Black strained his neck, trying to see Doctor Orihime's expression. She wasn't looking at Rockman. She was looking down at him, her expression completely blank and uncaring…

_No…_

"Yes, that seems like a good idea."

At that moment, Phantom Black felt his world shatter.

"I only took him on because he had managed to work together with a Murian denpa body and was sympathetic to my ideals, but overall he's proven to be more of a nuisance than a help…I just haven't bothered to be rid of him myself. I won't have my perfect Neo Mu Empire populated by useless sycophants like him. That would only lead to more foolish people taking the reins." She sniffed, turning to enter the inner chamber.

"Once you are finished disposing of him, Rockman, we have new developments with Dealer to discuss."

"Hai, Doctor."

Phantom Black was speechless as he watched her turn her back on him, leave him behind to die as a useless wretch. He tried to call out for her one last time before she vanished through the portal, but instead he found himself choking as Rockman started applying pressure with his foot yet again.

"Look at what your pointless struggles have gotten you. Your hopes crushed, yourself left alone…why did you bother living, hm? Why did you cling onto some semblance of power, begging for scraps like some mangy _dog_, when you could have avoided all this? Even if something good happened to come from this-" and here Rockman put even more pressure on his neck, "-all good things come to an end. That is the way of the universe."

The only response Rockman received was more choking noises, and he chuckled.

"Now…you'll die right here, unwanted and worthless to everyone. Your body will be dropped in the Bermuda Triangle, where it will never be found. You will have no legacy left behind. You will have no power to your name. Your name will not bring any remembrances except to the few who knew you, and even then they will simply murmur you as being 'that one man,' never anything to set you apart. Not even the small part you played in the resurrection of Mu will be remembered. That is your end. That is what you've struggled so much for. A perfectly anonymous death. How lucky…you won't have any reason to return to this suffering world, won't you?"

Phantom Black weakly grabbed onto Rockman's leg with one hand. It was the strongest resistance he could put up in his state. Even when it was completely hopeless, he had to try something. He couldn't die like this! Not like this…

Rockman merely chuckled, gently prying his foot away from those weak hands, before kicking Phantom Black in the face. The blow completely subdued him, making him dizzy and barely able to process what he saw. He didn't see the twisted grin that crossed Rockman's face, could only barely see the outlines of the glowing sword as it materialized.

"What an appropriate death. After all, the only way to be completely rid of a parasite is to cut it off completely, is it not?"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Solo growled when he was told that he would be having a partner on this assignment.

"You know well that I work alone. I have not needed assistance yet."

"I know that. Even so, it is mandatory that you take him along with you."

_"Why?"_

"He will not be there to assist you. I have full belief in your abilities. But he has his own research to do in the Bermuda Maze, and I feel it would be more efficient if the two of you would go together. You may be able to assist him, even."

"So you would throw me together with a useless handicap?"

"I did not say he was useless. He can take care of himself extremely well, actually. I have the feeling you would find him interesting."

"Hmph."

"If it would make you feel better about him, he _is_ the one who managed to retrieve the Crimson Compressor back from Dealer…"

Solo stiffened. Doctor Orihime knew that talking about any sort of Murian artifact would reel him in. He tried to not show the effects, but in the end, despite being a hardened warrior he was still a young teen. His emotions were easy for an older adult to read.

"So you're putting me together with the new recruit."

"Of course."

"I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone, Solo. I'm surprised I've managed to put up with you for this long. But, our goals are the same, hm?"

"Hmph."

With that, Solo Denpa-Henkaned and left through the portal. He found Rockman waiting for him at one of the many entrances to the Bermuda Maze.

"Hoh, you're here already? I thought you'd be complaining longer about the sudden partnership, Loner."

"The name is _Burai_, and time spent complaining is time wasted on more important matters."

"So it is. Shall we be off, then?"

"Very well." They both rocketed off inside the maze, unconsciously racing with each other, testing each other's strength. "Don't expect any help from me, even if Orihime seems to think that I'd want to help others."

"Why should I? Relying completely on another's goodwill to help is a fickle thing. Relying on any sort of bond, really, only leads to disappointment eventually. I think the Doctor merely wants us both out of her hair for the time being. You know she really only trusts Empty, for whatever reason. Wise of her, but still, leaving herself open to a single being is still one too many."

"Hmph." Burai smirked despite himself. At least this…associate…was tolerable. He didn't seem like he would force himself and his authority on him, the way Orihime and Empty did. He definitely wasn't the type to force some sort of companionship nonsense down his throat, either.

Indeed, they kept their distance from each other until they reached the designated point in the maze. Burai immediately started searching for clues, hints to the next path to take, but he was soon distracted by what Rockman was doing. The boy had simply stood still in the middle of the maze, holding both hands up to his ears. He closed his eyes, and then simply started chanting words out of nowhere.

They had a dull, almost lifeless tone to them, as if the words he were speaking were not his own. As if he was merely translating, or transcribing. But it couldn't have been translating. He wasn't speaking any language that Solo knew at all. In fact, it sounded like he kept switching abruptly through various languages, stopping in the middle of one sentence, one set of emotions and moving onto another language with a different tone. It was jarring.

_"Kath, Fon, Wir…"_

Wait…those words…

_"Mir, Tuk…"_

That wasn't modern language at all! That was…the runes of the Murian people! And not just any words…those were keystones. Keystones that were used to place locks, or seals…how did he know them? He had been told that Rockman was apparently a visitor from outer space…never mind that Solo was the last Murian and should have been the only one to know the sacred runes, how did someone not apparently from this world know them?

"Oi, _you!_"

The angry words brought Rockman out of his trance, and he focused enough in time to find Burai walking towards him.

"What? What do you want, Loner?"

Burai was too angry to even correct the annoying nickname that Rockman had apparently bestowed on him.

"How do you know the sealing runes of Mu?"

"Wait, that was Murian I was speaking? _Finally!_ Why did you interrupt me? Who knows how long it'll take to find that again…"

At that, Burai backed away somewhat.

"What…?"

"Geez, I thought the Doctor sent you over to be a help, not a hindrance…" Burai couldn't help growling at that, before Rockman's next question sent him back into confusion. "Can't you hear it?"

"…Hear what?"

"…You're a Murian descendant and _you can't hear anything!"_ Rockman's incredulous expression only made Burai feel ashamed of himself…then he felt nothing but fury. Nothing should shame him, the last descendant of Mu.

"…What. Are. You. Talking. About?" The words were ground out with the air of barely restrained patience.

"…I hear voices in the maze, Burai." At that, Burai was rendered silent. Normally, he would have called the boy mad, but he had been speaking Murian dialect earlier without apparently knowing it, so he was silent, waiting for more. "If you're quiet, and you listen closely, you can hear voices. Try it."

Burai felt like a fool, but he did what he was told. It took him a few moments to completely still himself, then another few to reach out with his senses, to spread his Denpa to sense what he could with it.

And he heard it. There was the faintest of whisperings just at the very horizon of his senses. It was like a cloud, there were many words, many voices all tangled into each other in one big swirling mess. It was almost maddening, trying to follow one voice, only to hear another interrupt, with a completely different tone and idea and possibly even a different language.

"Just…barely…what is it? What are they?" Burai asked. He looked down at the younger boy with something almost akin to wonder. Rockman only looked back up at him, then out into the misty cloudiness that made up the majority of the maze.

"They're all the people who have died here. All the plane crashes, all the shipwrecks…the denpa here is so strange that it seems to have…recorded or preserved the voices somehow. Maybe it's ghosts, maybe it's just the strange quality of this denpa, but…it's there, too. Mu is here. And its voices are getting out. But whatever happened to the Mu…it was a long time ago. Their voice waves are weak compared to the more recent deaths on top of them. The only reason they're still around is because of Mu's power. It's what's fueling the strange qualities behind this maze, I'm sure of it. Can't you feel it? Its power is so evenly spread out…it's like this maze is a part of Mu."

Burai nodded. The last part, he knew for sure. Just being in the Bermuda Maze itself made him feel like he was home. Perhaps it had been some sort of defense mechanism, back in the day. But the voices…

"How…how can you hear them? I can barely hear them myself…" It hurt, admitting that he was weaker in some aspect than somebody else. But he had to know. Was this why Orihime wanted Burai to go with Rockman? Because the younger boy was an actual lead?

"…I've been a Denpa-human for a long time. It's made me be able to sense things, be more in tune with the Wave World itself. That, and my own personal source of power…" and here, Rockman touched his chest, where that odd glowing gem was set in a key-like emblem, "it amplifies my own sensing abilities. I can sense things that most denpa-beings can't. You could say it's my own unique power…it makes travelling in space much easier, I can tell you that. Travelling through long stretches of nothing makes it hard to pinpoint your exact location without this kind of ability, you know!"

And at that, Rockman started chuckling, before looking subdued. "The OOParts talk to me as well. I thought you should know that."

Burai's eyes widened.

_"What?"_

"Mmm. It sounds like the three tribes-Beserk, Shinobi, Dinosaur…they were destroyed because the OOParts overwhelmed them somehow. But they didn't want to be destroyed, so instead they allowed the OOParts to absorb their souls even as it went out of control, destroying their tribes. Their spirits have been trapped in those relics for all this time, losing their separate identities and merging into a single entity that represents the entire tribe, and their resentment over being trapped is what continues to fuel the OOParts' power." There was a small smile on Rockman's face now, somewhere between a sad and an amused expression. "Isn't it sad? That their desire to keep on living would lead them to such a terrible fate? And Doctor Orihime wants to use this sort of sad power for her own…I haven't told her this yet, of course. But you're a Murian, so I feel that you need to know this."

"…Why?" This felt so sudden, so out of left field. To know that his people were not completely dead, to know that they were around this entire time, entrapped in the OOParts. His mind still felt numb.

"_Why?_ Because it's your responsibility, as the last Murian, to end their suffering! You have to release their souls, even if that means depriving the OOParts of their power! Leaving them like this to suffer needlessly…you would do that?"

"Suffer? Suffer? But you say they want to live! That they didn't want to be destroyed! If I revive Mu…then…then I could…"

"Release them? Bring them back? Why? I told you, they've lost their individual personalities! Every single tribe has just been merged into a single being! By this time, they've all lost themselves in nothing but vengeance and anger! I've _felt_ it! They are vicious, unfeeling spirits that have tried to coerce me into giving up my body to them, so that they could tread this Earth once more! You would unleash vengeful spirits simply for the sake of granting a deluded wish! Unleashing them will do them no good! They will not be satisfied until everything is destroyed to sate an anger that will never be calmed!"

"And _how_ do you know that? You underestimate the tenacity of the people of Mu? Do you think we would bow to the power of ridiculous Matter Wave stones that we ourselves made? Are we that _weak?_"

"No, you all are _fools!_ Letting your desire to see your city rise again, your legacy walk the earth once more rule your judgement…you sicken me! I thought you held no bonds close!"

"And I _don't!_"

"Yes, you _DO!_ Look at how attached you are to Mu, your ancestors, your people! You would condemn then to an eternity of vengeance and anger, merely because you wouldn't have to be the only one continuing on the legacy of a failed people?"

"_Failed?_ You would call us-"

_"YOU DESTROYED YOURSELVES THROUGH YOUR OWN ACTIONS!"_ Rockman glared up at the older boy, his cold, blank expression at odds with the almost emotional words he had just shouted.

"The Murian people desired too much, and suffered for it. Now you would repeat that cycle."

"I would break it, and begin anew."

"I fail to see how reviving the exact same civilization with the exact same traditions and the exact same people would be beginning anew."

"You are naive." And Burai slipped into a battle ready stance. Rockman did the same.

"And you are arrogant."

The battle had begun.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The battle between the two had been fierce. Rockman had not dared to tip his hand so early and reveal Andromeda now, and Burai had been fused with the Indie Darkness for some time now, which gave him a formidable defense to match his offense. They both fought without remorse, with the intent to kill. And yet, neither of them did kill the other, in the end. They just simply looked at each other, panting heavily on opposite sides of the battlefield, Burai leaning heavily on his sword and Rockman barely standing, his body surrounded by Crimson that seemed intent on influencing him, somehow. It looked as if he was involuntarily in the middle of another Noise Change.

Burai's assumption proved to be correct, as suddenly Rockman's form began to change and shift. When the static-like mass cleared away, it revealed Rockman in a form very similar to himself…Burai Noise. The air was silent, heavy…and somehow, the change signaled the end of the fight.

Their eyes met, and they nodded. They would never see eye to eye on the Mu issue. But they both agreed on the futility of bonds, had both proven to be strong, independent, and capable warriors. Besides, as much as Burai hated to admit it, he needed Rockman to listen to the voices of Mu in order to find a path to Mu's seal. And Rockman had really only been allowed to get away with killing Dark Phantom because the man was a useless grunt. Killing another member of the Neo Mu Empire so soon, and one so valuable as the last Murian, would not work well for him.

They could respect each other, maybe, or so Burai thought. But they would definitely fight again. And the next time, one or both of them would not leave the battlefield alive.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Rockman scowled as he continued assembling replicas of all the artifacts and programs he had received from Dealer and the Neo Mu Empire. He was not so foolish as to let those idiots have the original, perfect devices if it was ever possible. If there were multiple types of the same artifact found during the excavations, Rockman made sure to hide one away in a Noise Wave before Hollow spotted it. If not, he took the time to analyze it thoroughly before constructing a replica to replace it with later. He really was lucky that the sheer power of the Andromeda Key made him that much more aware of other denpa within its range, or he wouldn't have been able to fine-tune the replicas so easily. That they were good enough to fool Solo himself spoke of how much detail the Andromeda Key allowed him to sense.

The fakes were given to the Neo Mu Empire. From the Neo Mu Empire, he was allowed into Doctor Orihime's private chambers along with Hollow to better understand and study it, as well as make a replica right in front of them to 'give' to Dealer. From Dealer, he was finally allowed to spot the few relics that King had collected in order to give his own observations on them, and immediately snatch them away and replace them with copies. He allowed King to use the "new discoveries" to alter his own Noise Program, and test their effects on him, since-in King's own words even-he was "quite receptive of various waves and would be a good indicator of their strength." And indeed, the upgrades really did strengthen him, enough that he had started on his own copy of the Noise Program for Andromeda. The key really was quite receptive, wasn't it?

Soon. Soon both he and Andromeda would be able to resist that terrible Crimson, and would be able to use its power for their own. And perhaps, if it was discovered soon, they would be able to absorb the power of Mu as well. Thanks to Solo deciphering all that nonsense he was repeating from the miserable voices of Mu (another element of this terrible, vicious world!), they had closed in on the seal. Orihime was preparing to unseal it, as they were very close to finding its exact location. And King had nearly collected enough Crimson to control Meteor G. If the timing was right, Orihime and King might end up being too busy fighting each other to notice his own plans…not that they had noticed so far. None of them did.

They were all fools. Their suffering would end soon enough. He would make sure of it.

* * *

**[A/N]: ****Aaaah, I originally intended for Rockman and Solo to actually be on somewhat friendly terms. But they refused to write themselves that way. They really are stubborn. They do respect each other for their views, though, so I can't say it's completely hostile. But they're still embroiled in a rivalry to the death, just like in canon. Oh well. Also, I wanted to write something for Hollow, but I couldn't really think of anything. The guy's completely devoted to Orihime, after all, and Rockman trying to turn the guy against her would only set off alarm bells. Shame too, because I can totally think of how Rockman would completely belittle him if he knew his backstory.**

******Yes, readers, Rockman _isnt'_ planning on absorbing the OOParts as you thought. He's actually rather offended by the nature of their existence. Makes sense, doesn't it?**

******And yes, I created my own personal headcanon on how they navigate through the Bermuda Maze. I just find it strange that despite having their hideout hidden inside the maze, and having an actual Murian on their side, Orihime still failed to find Mu until Harp Note was apparently able to "hear" the directions of the guides. Maybe they sensed no ill-will from her, and her abilities with sound took care of the rest, who knows. But they answered to her and she understood them. So I made it so that Rockman could hear them, but not understand them, so he'd need to transcribe to Solo what they're saying in order to understand them.**


	14. Interlude 3: Shattering Delusions

**[A/N] Oh hey, I know you were all excited to see what happens next in the story, but I forgot to mention that the third and final interlude from Gabe takes place now. Tee hee.**

**Also, I'm really flattered that my stories are good enough to make you that open and casual, anonymous reviewer. It makes me feel like I actually have done something right, somehow. Now to your comments.**

**I've never heard that about Misora, it could be a dropped plotline that was mentioned in the Official Complete Works, and it would make sense that she would be able to understand them if that was the case. T****here are both regular _and_ X versions of old cards among the illegals that you can acquire with Noise. I forgot to answer this in the last author's notes-yes, his folder was reset to a default folder with the Hunter upgrade, but with his abilities, he'd collect new cards quickly, no? And while his Noise Change could have been related to bonds with others in the game, I find it's more like accessing memories of FM-ians he's fought, since he has forms like Libra and Wolf, who's humans have distant bonds with Subaru at best. If only they hadn't scrapped their ideas for a Harp Noise...**

**The bit about the OOParts is hinted at in the games. They claim that "they should never have been destroyed," but clearly the OOParts themselves are still there, so it must be referring to something else. And they never refer to themselves as a singular being, rather, they always use the "we" pronoun. It could be a translation of the Japanese "royal we" pronoun, but it's highly unlikely. Dark Phantom and Hollow both state that if the weak attempt to use the OOPart, it's power would overwhelm and consume them. So it's hinted, but never explicitly stated that the OOParts absorbed the very tribes that created them and that the "spirit" of the OOPart is in fact the entire tribe, since the entire tribe had been weakened by the loss of their bonds. The anime itself doesn't go far into that story, as the second season was cut off due to flagging ratings and the series had to hurry itself to an ending in less than half the amount of episodes that had originally been slated out.**

**Also, the other mystery reviewer(s)? I would have asked why you thought my story was the best, but it seems you left another review telling me why. I'm both flattered and bemused, really, for you going through all the trouble of doing that and yet I was honestly confused while it was happening. Aha.**

**Okay, off to the final interlude from Gabe! It's a short one, but something to whet your teeth on for the next chapter!**

* * *

**_Chapter 11.5_**

**_Shattering Delusions_**

Tia had noticed the changes in her brother.

Jack had spent the last couple years being an absolute spitfire. He was powerful, yes every member of the team was, but Jack might have been the strongest of Dealer's warriors if he could really focus his mind on it. He was also impatient enough to match, and it had been a chore to hold him back from charging the Neo Mu Empire straight on. They had to wait and bide their time before they could make a strike.

Then this Rockman kid had appeared, and no matter how much Tia fretted over him, Jack had taken to him almost like a longtime friend.

It was odd. Jack had never really seemed to like anyone except her. It wasn't like he stopped having a short fuse just because Rockman was around either, but rather the fact that Rockman would tease and joke and even fight with him in return. When it first happened, she expected Jack to absolutely explode, but… by the end he'd been smiling. Worn out and injured from the fight they got into, but smiling _actually_smiling for the first time in years.

Tia didn't trust Rockman at all, but Jack seemed to. It wasn't like it was just because Rockman was his age. In the service of King they'd met many other children who'd met their ends accidentally, or as consequence of his schemes. Yet Jack had never really befriended anyone.

Now, though, Rockman had been gone for a while. For Tia and Ace this was something of a relief, having the volatile youth gone. King had sent him away to infiltrate the Neo Mu Empire, but his increasing periods of disappearance without report were beginning to cast suspicion on him. And while King was building in rage, Jack was ticking down.

One night, he had a frown cast across his face. "…I have to go make sure he's alright."

"…You can't," Tia's words weren't just the usual command, but a warning. The look in his eyes told her that there was no way he would refuse.

The answer he gave to that confirmed it further. "Watch me."

It would be the last words she heard from him.

**0-0-0-0-0**

The best warriors of Mu and Dealer clashed that night.

It was the first time they'd met, though they knew each other's names. They were the youngest of their respective organizations, but also the fiercest and most feared. Jack Corvus, bearing recklessly destructive flame and the wings of death; Burai, the coldest swordsman who needed no strength but his own to do what he did. They dueled in the sky, on and off the wave roads, and left destruction in their wake, and both of them were wearing the other out. Jack was having to do everything in his power to keep it up, but it was no easy feat for Solo, either.

"Where is he? Where's Rockman?"

"…You're picking a losing battle… over someone else?"

"Shut up! I'm here to save him from you Mu scum!"

Jack shouted those words as he dove forward, flames first; he was going to go all out and delete this bastard. Solo saw it coming, and charged forward with his blade at the ready. One strike would end this, both thought.

When the dust and smoke settled, though, neither had fallen. More than that, they were no longer alone.

"Hm? Jack? What are _you_ doing here?"

Rockman was standing next to them, as though he'd been there all along and as though a crater hadn't just been blasted out of the earth by the collision of their attacks. Casually, almost boredly.

Jack's head turned sharply in surprise. "Good!" he was breathing heavily, almost exhausted, but he could still manage a smile. So, Rockman was safe afterall!

Solo, meanwhile, would not be so distracted. These two had been matched so far, but now Jack was distracted. Managing what strength he still could, Solo struck suddenly, aiming to kill the boy in one strike.

It would have worked, except Rockman intervened. He didn't even need a battle card; he just lashed his foot out and sunk it into Solo's side, and sent the other flying. Blindsided and weakened from the fighting already, there wasn't much else Solo could do but be removed from the picture.

"…Heh, thanks!" Jack turned to watch Solo fly away, realising for just a moment that such a simple mistake had nearly cost him his life. "He almost…"

"I didn't really save you, you know. I just wanted to do this myself."

There was heat against Jack's neck, and his eyes slowly cast down to it. It took him a few moments to really understand it. Rockman's arm was a blade. Hot, rippling with energy, stinging even just by being held there without even having made a cut. He didn't move to get away. All he could do was trace his eyes up to Rockman's, confused.

"…Why? …Aren't we friends?"

Rockman's eyes weren't cold, but they were mocking; the smile that flitted across his face was the same sick, twisted, dangerous one that he'd shown Jack once upon a time. But he didn't say anything.

"…We were gonna… restart this world together, weren't we?"

The fact Rockman didn't respond cracked Jack's voice. He needed some sort of response. Some sort of anything. Anything. What was going on? Were King's fears right? Had he turned traitor?

No words, for a few seconds that hung like an eternity, and then Rockman spoke, finally. "Restarting this world… would just mean more people would have to suffer."

"…So you lied to me!" finally, some emotion that wasn't shock anger. Familiar, comforting anger.

"Hardly. I'm just not here for something as petty as your dream, Jack. Why restart the world and put it through all that pain all over again… when I can just destroy it?"

"Why? Why the hell would you do that!"

"Because, like you are seeing right now… like you've always known… everything ends. Blame it on technology like you tried to… yet, it's the nature of people. People exist only to hurt one another."

He was crazy. Crazy and dangerous. Jack was realising it. His sister had been right about him. This person… suddenly, everything clicked.

"You're… you're playing us both, aren't you? Dealer _and_ Mu!"

"Good, good, you've figured it out!" and Rockman started laughing. "Finally, someone gets it!"

Jack shifted backwards suddenly. He had to get away. This person… he wasn't just a traitor to Dealer, nevermind a traitor to Jack… he was going to destroy everything. He was serious.

"Too bad I can't exactly let you go spreading the word of that, can I? It's a shame, really. Had you realized these things before, you would have enjoyed seeing the end of the world."

Jack tried to run. He had to get away. Had to tell someone. Anyone. Even that Burai warrior, but he was too far away. Even if he was an enemy… even if he died, he had to make sure someone knew. Someone had to stop Rockman. His whole body was burning with exhaustion and fear like he'd never known in his life, but he just… he had to do _something_.

Then his body was burning in pain, and his mind only remained long enough to register that he'd failed.

**0-0-0-0-0**

When Burai made it back to the scene, Jack Corvus was quite clearly dead. His FM partner had scattered to the winds. The human boy was matted with blood, lifelessly tossed over Rockman's shoulder.

"…I finished him for you," Rockman laughed it off, like there was nothing about the scene that was unusual. "Don't worry though. As far as Dealer will know, I tried to save him."

"The hell'd you kick me for?" It stung in Burai's side, but it wasn't entirely a surprise he'd been plenty weakened beforehand anyway.

"He would never have known how futile living was if you finished him off then and there. I was doing him a service." That wasn't what bothered Burai at all, but he didn't get a chance to press it. Rockman was already leaving.

Something had just happened he wasn't entirely sure of. It wasn't like he cared what Rockman did in his schemes, frankly he was more bothered by the fact that Rockman had taken such a cheap shot at him. Still, something didn't entirely line up.

"…What are you really up to, Rockman?"

* * *

**[A/N] Sorry, Jack. I adore you, really, but you had to go. You were too curious and got too close to Rockman for your own good.****  
**

**Next chapter is the finale! Stay tuned, it'll be up in the next two days!**


	15. Herald of the End

**[A/N] Ayup, time for the finale! I'll just answer one more set of questions before we go!**

**We have actually joked about turning other characters evil, including Misora-I even wrote a small snippet about _Tsukasa_ turning evil once, but it was very short and very vague and really just written as a response to what somebody else said, so it's a bit strange without context. Hence, I never posted it.**

**Originally, the finale didn't have any confrontation between Dealer and Rockman over Jack's death, because the interlude was actually written _after_ the finale was done. However, your review actually sort of prodded small vague ideas in my head about such a confrontation, so chapter 12 received an additional scene to the beginning of the fic, and the scenes afterwards were rearranged and slightly edited to accommodate it. So if any of you saw it before on my LiveJournal or Tumblr, the finale itself is slightly different now.**

**Now, get ready! It's the last chapter! Let's go!**

* * *

**_Chapter 12-Finale_**

**_Herald of the End_**

The timing was perfect. He had already declared his intentions to WAZA, had commanded Meteor G to blast them with its power, the Jamming. Now the only thing left to do was confirm the extent of fear he had managed to spread. King turned to his group of loyal followers that he had called to him for this very moment.

Two of them were missing. Naturally, Rockman was gone. He spent most of his time over at the Neo Mu Empire's base these days, and King had specifically sent him out to find a way to distract them from his first assault on the public world. But the other one…

"Tia, where is your brother? I know he's a rather excitable child, always running off and not wanting to listen to his father, but really now, he knows better than to ignore a summons."

King was surprised when a brief flicker of emotion passed across Tia's normally passive face, something that looked like…worry?

"That is…he…"

"So I take it that you _didn't_ order him to come after me? My, my, this does make things more troublesome."

Everyone in the room was startled as Rockman himself hopped out of a Noise Wave into the main room, an irritated scowl on his face. Their attention was soon drawn to what he had hefted over his shoulder: Jack's unmoving body. At the angle he was facing them, only his legs and lower torso were visible, but it was clear that he had been attacked and hurt severely, if he wasn't protesting over being carried in such a fashion. "Honestly, I thought you had _control_ over your subordinates, King! How do you expect to run an organization smoothly if they keep running off on their own purposes, eh? Geez…" With a grunt, Rockman threw Jack off his shoulder in an almost careless fashion before anyone could move to take the child off him or protest at the way he was carrying an injured comrade.

Tia screamed. Everyone else only stared on in shocked silence as they realized just _why_ Rockman didn't feel the need to carry Jack more carefully.

Jack's body was headless, and the severed neck was still leaking blood. Rockman merely looked on at the gruesome sight with a slightly bemused expression, before turning back towards the Noise Wave and reaching in for something. As he turned back around, he nonchalantly tossed it towards the rest of the group.

"Ah, there it is. You'll need that to properly dispose of the body, won't you?" The words served to cement the reality of the situation as Jack's head rolled across the carpet, stopping to rest at Tia's feet. She wordlessly looked down at his face, frozen in an expression of fear that just looked _wrong_ on Jack's face. Jack never expressed fear if he could help it…

With an incoherent scream of rage and sorrow, she focused her gaze on the only person in the room who she could remotely pin the blame on for her little brother's undignified and untimely demise, and before anyone else could speak, she found herself standing in front of Rockman, both hands gripping his neck in an effort to make him face her. The blank, unfeeling expression he looked back at her with only intensified her anger. Jack had _died_ because he wanted to look out for Rockman, and he...he dared to feel nothing?

"Boy, _explain yourself._" King's voice cut through her haze of rage, speaking the words that she couldn't bring herself to speak. Part of her didn't want to hear it, didn't want to make this real by having a story behind it, but the rest of her burned to hear the truth…

"Unhand me, and I will," Rockman hissed out in reply, narrowing his eyes at Tia in mere annoyance, which only made her want to tighten her grip on him. But she knew she would never get the truth if she didn't, so eventually her grip loosened, and she found her shaking hands held in Shidou's to steady them. Rockman cleared his throat before he began.

"I was doing as you said, gave reports of a possible location for Murian relics and went out with Hollow to excavate them and kept Doctor Orihime distracted with our status reports. You'll be glad to know that we did find something, by the way, I've got the original right here." Rockman reached into the Noise Wave once more with a single hand, pulling out a spherical device. "Fascinating thing, Noise Wave Generators. You might want a closer look at this later, King, I have reason to believe that this helped the Mu reign over the Earth despite being separated from it in the sky, it could very well deal with the issues you have with being separate from Meteor G..."

Rockman only smirked when King scowled in annoyance at his changing the subject. "Right,then. Anyways, I had gotten back to the hideout where I had been informed that there was an intruder in the maze…Hollow stayed behind to protect Orihime, and I, as a loyal subject of the Neo Mu Empire," here, Rockman rolled his eyes, "went out into the maze to identify the problem. I found Jack there, engaged in a heated battle with _Burai_, of all people."

Everyone stiffened at his words. It was well known that Burai was the ace in the hole for the Neo Mu Empire. Even Joker and Shidou had been cautioned to be wary around the boy. For Jack to confront him…

"Anyways, it's pretty obvious what happened after that. By the time I got there, the fight was nearly over, and I wasn't able to get there in time to stop Burai from killing him." Rockman shrugged. "Turns out he kept asking about me the whole time, so it took a lot of talking to Burai to convince him that I wasn't still on your side and he wasn't trying to pick up information from me."

Rockman sighed and put his arms on his waist, stretching. "He's gone and caused a lot of trouble for me, let me tell you…" There was a sigh as he put a hand to his forehead, and Tia found herself seeing red yet again as he shook his head. "Really, Jack should know better than that, he nearly jeopardized the whole operation-"

_"YOU!"_ Tia's sudden outburst made everyone in the room other than Rockman jump. It was rare for her to raise her voice, never mind the anger-fueled shout that she interrupted Rockman's words with. Rockman merely looked at her with a vaguely confused expression as she strained against Shidou's hold in her attempt to put her hands around the younger boy's neck once more.

"You-he-Jack was _worried_ about you! He went out on his own to find you because he wanted to help you! Don't you realize what he lost because of…because of _you!_" Rockman merely tilted his head at the emotional outburst.

"Is that so? Whatever was he worried about? It sounds irrational to me…" Tia growled at the lack of reaction and let out a strangled yell.

"He considered you a _friend!_" Everyone other than Rockman gawked in surprise. Jack, considering someone a friend? And that friend being the volatile Rockman…it boggled the mind. "Jack has never considered anyone else in this organization a friend, ever…it doesn't make sense, I can't understand it, but he did! And he wanted to save his friend! How is that irrational?"

Rockman frowned, and for a brief moment, Tia thought that maybe she had finally gotten through to him.

"…It's like you said, isn't it? It doesn't make sense. Why would Jack do something so irrational on something as fickle as emotion? He let his heart rule over his mind, like he's always done. It's only logical that those actions would have led to his death at some point in the future, if not now, then at some point. You're a logical person, Tia. You should understand this." Rockman shrugged. "Unless you're letting your emotions get the better of you too…"

Those words enraged Tia like nothing else had before. How could he spit on Jack's actions like that? How could he have let Jack die for…for nothing? With strength she didn't know she had, she wrenched herself free from Shidou's restraining grip, pulling her arm back to strike the younger boy.

She found her hand caught in Rockman's own, him barely having to exert any force to keep her from hitting him. Despite that, she reached back with her other hand to strike him, only to find her other hand caught in his other hand. Rockman snorted disdainfully at her efforts.

"I was right; you are letting your emotions rule your actions. Pity that, you were once a rational human being…the normal you wouldn't have dared to strike me even as Queen Virgo, considering you couldn't best me in battle, and yet now as a mere human, you dare to lash out at me?"

Tia let out a wordless scream of rage and grief, even as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and her hands shook in his grip.

"You-_you-_"

_"Enough."_ Suddenly, Rockman's expression grew furious, the first display of raw emotion she had seen from him, and his hands suddenly tightened their grip on hers to a painful degree. She let out a scream of pain as he continued to tighten his grip.

"I've made it no secret that I dislike emotion. It interferes with one's natural abilities, and only serves to cause eventual pain to others. But," and his grip tightened further as his face grew angrier, his expression almost feral by this point.

"The one emotion that I can't stand is _grief._ It is the ultimate result of all human interaction with others. Grief represents all that results from the efforts that humans throw themselves into, day after day, as they continue to fruitlessly struggle for an eternal happiness that they know that doesn't exist, but attempt to find anyway. And then they dare to feel upset when, in the innermost depths of their being, they knew all along that they would eventually fail to reach what they strive for. They _dare_ to let the frustrations overwhelm them and stop their normal functioning, to bemoan their sufferings that they would never, should never, have had to deal with had they behaved _logically_ and had _reasonable_ expectations for nothing permanent."

The silence was deafening, the only sound echoing through the room being Tia's stifled sobbing as tears continued to fall down her face, and Rockman's heavy breathing as he tried to steady himself, but failing. His expression only grew more furious.

"You bothered to get attached to a young boy who constantly threw himself into danger. You let your worry and fear for him rule your actions, and you let his death affect you to this point…"

Finally, Rockman seemed to get control back over himself. With one steady breath, the angry expression faded back into the normal indifference he usually bore. His expression was cold and unfeeling, even as he looked up into Tia's tearful eyes. The only thing that betrayed his anger was the tightening of his grip on her hands yet again, to the point of nearly cracking bones.

"You brought this grief onto yourself, Queen Tia. Don't forget that."

"_Enough,_ boy! Unhand her this instant!"

And Rockman did so at King's demand, only huffing as Tia sunk to her knees. He looked up at King impassively as Shidou lowered himself to pull Tia into his arms, where she finally dissolved into a sobbing mess, her face in her hands even as she was pulled close to her lover's embrace. For a few moments, no one spoke, only letting her grief-filled sobs echo through the room. Rockman broke the silence first with a sigh as he stretched, before turning to leave.

"And where do you think you're going, boy?" King demanded, his fists tightening. Rockman merely looked at him with a dismissive expression.

"Think, King! What Jack has done has severely endangered my influence in the Neo Mu Empire! I might have managed to convince Solo of my 'loyalty,' but Doctor Orihime is another matter entirely! With this event, combined with you finally launching your assault, I'll have my hands full with trying to assure her that nothing has threatened her plans! If you don't want Doctor Orihime on your back now that you've finally got the rest of the world focused on you, I'll have to work quickly to keep her calm! Honestly…" And here, Rockman sighed. "Does _no one_ think with their brains instead of their emotional outbursts in this organization?"

With that, he hopped back into the Noise Wave before anyone else could stop him. The room was quiet again, save for Tia. It was a few minutes before anyone could bring themselves to try anything.

"…Shidou. Escort Tia to her room, please, before going off to check on WAZA." The young man looked up in shock.

"But sir-!"

"I imagine Tia will want some time alone, child. Do not imagine that I do not feel anything from this…"

Even King could express grief when it was necessary, and losing one of his strongest children certainly was an appropriate situation for it. It was a few moments before Shidou brought himself to nod, before gently nudging Tia to her feet and slowly supporting her out of the room. When they had finally left, he turned to Heartless, who had been watching the events unfold with an expression that barely hid her own grief.

"…Heartless. Please…dispose of the body."

"…Hai, of course."

Once she was gone, and he was left with only Joker standing guard in the room, King retreated into his own thoughts. He had questioned his own decision to take in Rockman many times over the past few months, but never before had he wondered about the boy's apparent lack of proper emotion. King may have regarded his subordinates as merely a means to an end, but even he could worry about the lack of allies. Rockman apparently had no such qualms about it.

Not for the first time, King wondered what Rockman really was.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Doctor Orihime fumed at Dealer's latest move.

"How dare he! Destroying the center of where the intelligent lie…WAZA was full of potentially brilliant minds, perfect to strengthen the Neo Mu Empire! And he would obliterate them, merely because they pose a threat to his plans? They barely knew of Dealer before he pulled this stunt! It was a foolish display of power, nothing more!" Someone came into the room, and she fumed as she turned around to face them.

"Rockman! I thought you were going to prevent him from making his move!"

"And so I have, Doctor Orihime."

"Explain yourself. This, combined with that suspicious Dealer character coming in earlier, makes it certainly look like he's made a move."

"I'm sure Solo already informed you that I gladly finished that boy off. Jack Corvus was a strong warrior, high up in Dealer's ranks, but he was a reckless one. He didn't trust King's word at all, so even despite King's reassurances, he didn't believe that I was doing...well." A wry chuckle came from Rockman's lips, and Orihime sensed no regret in his tone at the loss. "When I listened in on them briefly before reporting in, it seemed that he had actually left on his own without authorization. Strong boy, but foolish. He would have been little more than a foot soldier in your orderly ranks, Doctor, albeit one that would constantly get in trouble..."

As Rockman laughed softly, Doctor Orihime an eyebrow. The boy certainly didn't seem to feel anything for the Dealer scum, but still...

"And of King?"

"Oh, he's made a move, Doctor Orihime, but it has hardly been successful. Look beneath the surface and observe...All the scientists save one had evacuated once they had heard his announcement being broadcast. The only one that has perished is Doctor Goodall. A heavy blow, to be sure, but she has saved WAZA's network in the process. Your brilliant minds are safe, and it shows a glaring hole in Dealer's plans, Doctor."

Rockman smirked. "King grows impatient. He attacks with Meteor G even while he lacks control. Meteor G is being hindered from using all of its power, and it shall be so until Ra Mu is completely awakened. Once Ra Mu is awake, it will be able to handle an inferior object like a space rock with ease…perhaps even take its power for its own. It is the origin of all this wondrous Noise control technology, is it not?"

"My, you are one for subtleties, aren't you?"

"Of course, Doctor. Allowing King to make the first move will only increase your influence and power once you soundly defeat him, while exposing him to the world. The entire world will be focused on him, while you prepare your empire. Perfect, no?"

"I see. You are a crafty one. King lost a valuable ally when you agreed to work with me that day." Orihime chuckled. "And the status of Ra Mu?"

"Still absorbing power from the OOParts, Doctor. Empty believes it will be fully functional by tomorrow. Make your move then. Declare your intentions to the world, but don't single out a specific target. Make the whole world shake. You are to be a god, after all."

"Then so it shall be. Tomorrow, the Neo Mu Empire will begin their conquest of the world!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

King was displeased. Somebody had been constantly hindering his efforts to control Meteor G. Oh, he had full control of it, of course. But it still wasn't effective enough. The Jamming strike at WAZA should have completely blocked off all denpa beings and transmissions, plus have automatically killed all the humans inside. And yet, the Satella Police Wizards had eventually been able to tear open an entrance by utilizing their self-destruct features. Granted, they were not quick enough to save that old bat, Doctor Goodall, which was a heavy blow to their resources considering she was heading their own Noise department research. But she had lived long enough to transmit WAZA's data to the environmental system in Alohaha, which had been only recently fully repaired from the time when Jack and Tia had driven Strong out of control. The people of Alohaha had learned their lesson once the Wizard had been fully burnt out by the surge of Noise in his circuits, and had a multitude of people regulating the environemental system now. It would make suitable headquarters, and it was a place for them to rally around.

This was no good. No good at all! His control over Meteor G was absolute! It should use one hundred percent of its power! King fumed over this dilemma with Heartless, who had still not been able to find the cause.

"Ne, King. Don't be so hard on her, eh? You know she's one of your most competent minds."

"Silence, Rockman! This is a major problem!"

"Of course, King. But I wonder…if Heartless has not discovered the origin of the problems by now…is the interference really coming from someone else on Earth?"

"What are you implying, child?" King had learned to listen whenever Rockman had a theory. The child really did seem to love thinking out of the box, and so while whatever he proposed sounded completely off the wall at the time, it often worked once implemented.

"I'm saying that maybe there's a problem with Meteor G itself. Its Cyber Core could be unstable. Permission to check, King?"

"…Yes. Very well." He had no one else. Acid Ace was out doing recon on WAZA. Joker needed to stay with him during a crucial time such as this, he needed some semblance of protection. And Queen Tia was still grieving over the loss of Jack, and had been very hostile towards nearly everyone else save for Ace himself. "I expect a status report as soon as possible."

"Of course, sir."

Rockman smirked as he disappeared. If Heartless' notes were correct, then he had a visit to pay before going up to Meteor G...

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

None of the orderlies ever thought of Hoshikawa Akane as an easy patient to take care of. Oh no, she took all her meals and her medication, and she gave the doctors no trouble at all. But grief was always heavy in the air around her, and none of the nurses could go in without feeling its weight. Her backstory was a sad one. Not particularly because of its content, many patients had gone through worse. But the fact that it happened out of nowhere, and broke what was once a perfectly functional human being was jarring. Her appearance combined with this air around her…it felt wrong. She shouldn't have been here. It made dealing with her…awkward. Like they were doing little but taking care of a doll.

Akane, on the other hand, felt nothing of what the orderlies and doctors thought of her. Even if she knew, she wouldn't have cared. She was insensate to everything in this world. She had often told her little boy to be careful, because what would she do if she had lost him as well? At the time, it was a simple thing to say, just a word of warning. But then…

They dared to call her child a murderer. Her gentle little boy, who did nothing but look at the stars, wouldn't want to associate with others long enough to even have a chance at killing them. They knew nothing about her boy, and yet…

But if he wasn't a murderer, why hadn't he come home? Had he really been with an alien this whole time? Had perhaps been kidnapped? She wished she knew…

Akane leaned back into her bed, looking at her dark, empty room without really seeing anything at all. It was all the same. Nothing but this never ending darkness in her heart and her mind. Nothing to see here…

"Kaa-san."

She blinked, and sat up. That voice. It had called out for her. Was he here? Had he heard her?

"Subaru? Subaru, is that you?" Her response was a childish giggle.

"Subaru? Maa, I haven't been called by that name in a long time…it's a little startling…" And then he was there. Right at the foot of her bed. He was dressed oddly, but…her baby boy, he was back. He came back to her.

"Subaru, it really is you…you're back…do you know how much I worried about you? All this time, and I didn't know where you had gone to…" Her eyes welled up with tears, obscuring her vision. By the time she had wiped her eyes clean, he had already come closer, sitting down in a chair next to her. He didn't look like he had aged a day…

"I'm really sorry, kaa-san…leaving you like this…but I had to!"

"It's alright, Subaru, I'm just glad to see that you're okay…now that you're here, you'll tell your mother everything, won't you?"

"Uh-hm. You won't believe what I have to say, but listen! I know where tou-san is! I've been looking for him for so long, and I found him! He was up in space, like I said all this time!"

Akane gasped. After all this suffering, suddenly the world seemed it fit to give her the two things she had wanted most? Her son, and her husband, finally back?

"Really? Is he here with you? Did you bring him back? Is that why you were gone for so long?"

"Mmhm. I needed some things, but I've got them all together now. He's not here yet, but don't worry! You'll be together with him soon, kaa-san!"

"Together…" Akane smiled blissfully. "All three of us?"

"Uh-huh! Eventually, all three of us will be together. Promise!"

Akane noded, before her smile eventually settled into a serious frown.

"Subaru."

"Eh?"

"Did…did you really…"

"Did I…what, kaa-san?"

"Those people…almost three years ago…did you really…" She swallowed. "…_hurt_ them?" That word…she couldn't bring herself to say it, to accuse her child the same way that those others called him._Murderer._

"Hurt? What are you talking about, kaa-san? I saved them!"

"…Saved?"

"Uh-huh. They were hurting really bad, kaa-san, they were suffering so much. And then the FM-ians came, and made them do bad things…I had to stop them, and save them, so that they wouldn't have to hurt like that anymore, knowing that they were being used to do bad things because of how they were hurting…" He looked downcast.

"Are…are you mad, kaa-san? I was doing my best to help them…"

She couldn't stay mad with him. Not now when he was back home. Not when he was trying so hard to do good.

"…I understand, Subaru. You were trying your best to do what's right. You did what you had to, didn't you?" She reached out, stroked his hair. He had certainly inherited his father's hair, even if it did have a touch of her delicate softness in it. The little smile he returned after her action only affirmed it in her mind. He was still her little boy.

"Thanks, kaa-san." She chuckled.

"Oh, Subaru, I'm so happy to see you again…"

"I'm happy to see you too, kaa-san. I'm just sorry that I left you for so long…and I have to go again. I only came to visit once I found out where you were…"

Go? So soon…

"Why?"

"Well, I have to go take care of tou-san, right? And there are some other dangerous things…I have this power, kaa-san, I can stop it. I can save this world…no, this universe! Just like tou-san wanted to…"

"Oh, Subaru…" She stroked his hair again. "You've grown up so much, and I never saw it…"

"Sorry, kaa-san…"

"Don't apologize." She let out a short laugh, before reaching out to cup his cheek. "Subaru…you're such a good boy."

He giggled, before reaching out to hold her hand with both his own.

"Thank you, kaa-san. You should rest."

"Oh, probably…I'm just so happy, Subaru, I don't know how I can sleep now, after all this."

"Go to sleep, kaa-san. We'll all be back together again. I promise."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

It was late, Amachi knew. But he was permitted to visit after hours. The orderlies knew him well enough by now, and he was the closest thing Akane had to family left. Oh…if his senpai could have seen his family now. One missing and declared a person of interest in a spree killing, one driven mad by grief…

_I'm sorry, Daigo-senpai. I failed you…I wanted to support your family in your absence, in return for all you've taught me, but…_

"How is she tonight?"

The orderly that he had stopped looked confused for a moment, before his eyes lit up in recognition once he realized who had addressed him.

"Oh, I believe she was just given her medication some time ago…if you visit her, you'll catch her just before they take effect and she falls asleep…you're late today, Amachi-san. Almost everyone has left now, except for the few night shifters…"

"Sorry...had to go a bit overtime at the lab today, the rocket just didn't have enough energy output…"

"Haha, well, I'm not going to pretend to understand what you're talking about. You should hurry!"

"Right, right! Thank you!" And he jogged off, raising a hand carelessly in farewell. He really should hurry. Akane depended on his visits for some sort of stability, at least one familiar, friendly face. He wouldn't let her down tonight.

The hallway was empty. No big surprise. With the way the shifts were run, and how it was staffed, only every other hallway had orderlies on it at a time. Right now, the floors above and below were being administered their daily medication, Amachi knew.

So why did he feel a sense of dread? Why did the back of his neck suddenly go slick with sweat? And that smell…

He sniffed. Once. Twice. It smelt…coppery…fresh...blood? That wasn't right. How could there be so much…and it was coming from the door next to him…

No. Not her room. Any room but her room…His throat tightened. He didn't want to open the door. But he had to…he reached a shaking hand out, grasped the handle, and turned it.

He opened the door just in time to watch in horror as Hoshikawa Akane's head fell from her shoulders, landing on the floor with a serene smile still on her sleeping face.

"W…what…" He looked up from where her head fell, saw the bloodied sword change back into a small hand. Saw the blue-clad boy turn to face him, regarding him with a neutral expression. That outfit…

"You…you're that boy who stopped Utagai…when he was that monster…"

"Ah…" And the boy smiled, a sinister smile that could have passed as gentle had Amachi not seen him murder in cold blood just a few seconds before. "I'm surprised you recognize me." The boy chuckled, a low, amused sound that made Amachi feel sick just hearing it. His eyes closed for a brief moment, before focusing straight on him, making Amachi flinch back instinctively.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon…Amachi-san."

That voice…the way he addressed him…no. It couldn't be.

"S…Subaru-kun…?"

"Ah…" The boy chuckled again, before stretching. "Again, calling me that name…first kaa-san, now you…it's a bit overwhelming! I haven't been called that name in years…Rockman. I'm Rockman now, Amachi-san."

Amachi felt his whole body go numb. No. He couldn't have…he didn't become…

"You…have you really been taken over by…"

"Eh? Oh, no, no! War-Rock and I have been _partners_ from the very beginning, Amachi-san! Sure, we had some…_disagreements…_" He giggled, a high-pitched sound that made Amachi's ears ring and his stomach lurch. It was so different from the low chuckles from before…

"But War-Rock came around to see things my way soon enough. Now, we're working together to achieve a great goal…"

"Y…your…way…" So…he had been working with an alien lifeform this whole time. But…he couldn't believe it! Subaru…that young child…he couldn't have _wanted_ to kill all those people…his own mother…

"Yep! Wouldn't it be great, Amachi-san, to eliminate all the suffering in this world?"

"…Subaru-kun…that's impossible, you know that. Without suffering, we can't feel joy…without suffering, we wouldn't band together to form bonds, what your father found so important…" He stopped talking when he noticed the ugly scowl growing on the boy's face.

"Why? Why live our lives with something so fickle, Amachi-san? Why should we have to feel pain just to feel happiness? It makes no sense! Living a life of suffering, searching for those few nuggets of happiness to cling onto, before passing away from this world, wanting more?"

Slowly, the scowl was changing. As he continued to talk, it became a crazed grin, his eyes alight with madness.

"It's illogical, Amachi-san. If we must live this way…wouldn't it be better if we could make it so we didn't have to feel such things at all?"

Amachi felt his breath hitch in his throat. How could Daigo's son fallen so far astray?

"S-Subaru-kun…don't you understand? It's those emotions that make us who we are…that make us human."

"And what's so great about being human, Amachi-san? I haven't been human for a long time…" He chuckled.

"I can do so much more this way, Amachi-san…I can save the world…the entire universe…" The boy cackled, an unnerving sound that started out low and slowly rose in pitch until he was outright laughing. It made Amachi want to turn away from the sight. But he couldn't.

"Subaru-kun…"

All laughter stopped. The boy stretched his neck, rolling his head on his shoulders, as if working out any cricks that might have been there. He regarded Amachi through half-lidded eyes, his head still slightly tilted to the side as a small, thin smile slowly appeared on his face, barely showing teeth.

"Rockman."

Amachi's eyes involuntarily slid down as those words were spoken. He watched the left hand materialize into a glowing sword. Slowly, wordlessly, he watched transfixed, followed the path of the sword with his eyes as the boy raised the sword up, eventually locking eyes with him again. The smile had become more sinister, calculating…

"It's Rockman, Amachi-san."

There was a split-second moment of silence as they stared, sizing each other up.

Amachi broke eye contact first, turning away to run. He didn't register where he was going. Instead he ran to the end of the hall, where the alarm was. He broke the glass, pulling the handle down to signal the orderlies. When he heard the blaring noise of the alarm, he let out an involuntary sigh, let his body relax…then it tensed again. He turned.

Rockman slammed him against the wall with his right hand pressed against Amachi's chest. He still wore that same unnerving smile.

"Ah, look at the time. I suppose I must be going. It's a shame that I couldn't get you to understand, Amachi-san…"

Amachi didn't move even as he felt heat on his neck, the energy-laced blade just barely brushing against his skin. He looked down into Subaru-kun's…no…_Rockman's_ eyes, trying to probe the depths of their madness, trying to find out just what happened. Even when he knew it was too late to fix it.

"No matter. You'll understand soon enough, Amachi-san, when you see kaa-san again."

When the orderlies came to the hall where the alarm had been sounded, they only saw Amachi's freshly decapitated corpse, his body still sliding down against the wall.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"What a strange piece of data…" Rockman mused as he picked up what appeared to be a splinter of some sort of whole piece of data. "It doesn't match anything else inside Meteor G…and it doesn't look like anything I've seen before…it looks almost alive."

**"That signature…"** Rockman raised an eyebrow, as he always did whenever he heard War-Rock talk. It had been a long time, hadn't it? It was a prompt for War-Rock to continue, but he looked reluctant to speak, as if he had regretted saying those words.

"Well?"

**"…It's very familiar to me. I think I…recognize it…"**

"You know who it is." It wasn't a statement. It was a demand. And War-Rock knew it.

**"…It's Daigo. This feels like a piece of his memory. The Noise is starting to scatter him, which means he's been in here for a long time, so he's probably what's been holding back Meteor G."**

"He is starting to lose himself. Breaking apart like this…what a cruel state to be in."

Rockman crushed the memory splinter in his hand, smiling as he watched it disintegrate in the palm of his hand as he opened it.

"We'll have to release him from his torment soon, won't we, War-Rock?"

**"…H…hai."**

It was difficult, trying to sense out the fragments of memory. They really were very tiny, and if he didn't have the Andromeda Key backing up his sensory abilities, he wouldn't have sensed them at all without some other locating device. But he managed to find them all, and had forced his way to the center of the Cyber Core in the process. There, it was easy to locate what he had been looking for. After all, he was right there, straining to keep the Cyber Core in check.

"Tou-san." Rockman smirked as Daigo turned around, watched his eyes light up in recognition.

"Subaru…"

"Maa, maa, you too, huh? I'd say that name brings back fond memories, but I don't really feel anything for those times, you know?" Rockman laughed, even as Daigo blanched.

"Subaru…don't you realize what you have been doing?"

"Well, of course I do, tou-san. I'm saving this miserable world."

"By cutting off any chance it has of forming bonds with other planets? By destroying it?"

"Well, of course. Relying on something as fickle as bonds, something that can hurt more than it can help…it's illogical."

Daigo didn't know what he could tell his son, convince him to stop. For once in his life, the words didn't come easily or naturally to him.

"Bonds are so much stronger than you think. They can bring so much joy and happiness, and fill you with strength like no other…"

"That may be so, but inevitably, they will break, tou-san. Whether by death, or by personally severing it…it will happen. Nothing is permanent in this universe, tou-san, not even your so-called strength."

"…Subaru." Daigo stood firmly, brought himself up to his full height. "I gave you the name I chose for a reason. I wanted you to uphold the strength of bonds, to know that power and to be able to live a long, happy life, surrounded by people you loved…Is that such a bad thing to wish for?"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Hoshikawa Subaru anymore, isn't it?" Daigo was rendered speechless as his son started to cackle. He had brushed off his argument so easily...

"I'm Rockman now, tou-san. And as Rockman, I don't fight for bonds. I fight to break them, and to make sure they never reform. I fight for destruction. Earth will be relieved of its suffering first…then the rest of the universe will follow. That is all."

Daigo tried to say something else, but he was cut off by a cry of pain as a sparking sword was shoved into his chest. His body, converted to purely denpa, was slowly being destabilized by the electric shocks coming from the blade.

"You've already suffered so much, tou-san. Being captured, lost in space, and then scattered throughout this Cyber Core, slowly and painfully having your memories being torn from you…why did you do such things? For a family that it wasn't guaranteed you'd return to? For a planet that forgot your existence, assumed you were dead? For those fickle _bonds_? It's enough, tou-san. Rest. Say hello to kaa-san for me, if you see her…and tell her I'll keep true to my promise. We'll all be together again in oblivion very soon."

Daigo's only response was to scream out his son's name in one last effort to reach out to him, his cry echoing through the Cyber Core as his body exploded into shards of light.

Rockman let a small relaxed smile cross his face as he watched the bits of data disintegrate in the air.

"Well. That's it. There's nothing left stopping us, War-Rock."

War-Rock said nothing, only bowing his head to hide his emotions.

**_I'm sorry, Daigo._**

The moment of quiet was shattered from a beeping noise from the Hunter as Rockman began to call Mr. King.

"Sir, I've found the disturbance."

"Excellent. Has it been taken care of?"

"Hai. A denpa lifeform that resembled a human was working to restrain the Cyber Core. I have just deleted it, but it had a strong presence. There's still scattered pieces of its data around the core, destabilizing it. It will take time to eradicate them all and stabilize Meteor G, sir."

"I see. Do you have an estimate on when this will be completed?"

"I should be able to have everything done by tomorrow, King."

"Good work, Rockman. Tomorrow, Dealer shall reign supreme!"

Rockman chuckled as he shut off the connection. Idiots. One day was all he needed. He already had a drain set into Ra Mu's inner workings, slowly siphoning away its power at a steady rate. While Empty was positioned to watch Ra Mu…he would notice nothing, especially not since Rockman had attacked him while he was alone with the so-called "god of Denpa" and deleted his memory banks. Oh, Empty could still function normally. But he listened to _him_, now. He would report nothing suspicious to Doctor Orihime, who was in her hideout, monitoring Dealer's actions effects on the world as Rockman suggested she do once Dealer's attack on WAZA had been made. He would only send her statistics on the "growth" that Ra Mu was going through.

Empty and Orihime…what a sad tale they shared together! Rockman was thoroughly amused by what he had seen in the memory banks. Orihime really was the epitome of the misery bonds could bring, wasn't she? Having her only love taken away from her, constructing Empty in a futile attempt to bring him back to her and only being disappointed when it didn't work…and then going on to be so attached to him that she kept him close even when his presence only brought her pain. To conquer the Earth just to alleviate that pain…what a great pain she must have felt! And her efforts had been set back to zero once again. Whatever connection she and Empty might have had was gone now, and she didn't even know it. How terrible.

Rockman set up a similar drain on Meteor G. It was connected to Andromeda, who was stationed nearby and already receiving power from Ra Mu. With Andromeda being so close and slowly receiving Meteor G's power, the sensors wouldn't even sense the drain. It would only sense Meteor G's energy being moved around. And slowly, Andromeda should gain a slight coating of bright red Crimson, just enough to fool any visual monitors observing Meteor G. It was perfect.

Tomorrow was the fated day when all three of them would reveal their plans to the world. Only one would succeed. And Rockman was already well on his way to making sure that it was his own plans that would triumph over all.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

People all around the world felt dread building in their stomachs as all their electronic devices ceased to function. Was it that King again? What would he declare now? Would they all be bowing down to him by the end of the day?

More than one person felt no small amount of surprise as a young woman appeared on their screens instead of King. Her message, however, was no less worrying.

"Greetings, simpletons, and rejoice! For today, you are now all under the sovereign of the Neo Mu Empire, and its ruler, myself-Doctor Orihime!"

Great. _Two_ insane megalomaniacs trying to rule the world. It was just what the Earth needed. She didn't get to say much else, however, as her broadcast was interrupted, and suddenly the screens were split in two as a second display showed up next to her-King.

"Murian reject! You would _dare_ try to parade around the work of a failed people as superior to Meteor G's might! "

"You would never understand the true power of Ra Mu, Dealer scum! It is a literal god!"

"Pah! Unscientific and baseless claims! Your so-called god will never be able to surpass the power of Meteor G!"

"Hah, do you really think so? Ra Mu, give these commoners a taste of your power! Eliminate that red shooting star that has been plaguing them for so long!"

"Not a chance! Unleash the Jamming, and show how false that god is, Meteor G!"

A minute passed. Nothing happened. People expected to feel some sort of rumbling tremor, see something clashing in the air as whatever Ra Mu had and the bright red beam of Crimson Jamming fought against each other. But there was nothing. Both King and Doctor Orihime looked panicked as they realized that there wasn't any display of power at all.

"Empty! Empty! What is the status of Ra Mu! Report!"

"Heartless? Heartless, you useless wench, get over here and tell me what's going on with the meteor now!"

Their panicked demands were cut off by childish giggling.

"You might as well stop trying, nothing will work anyway."

Everyone looked confused, except for the Doctor and King themselves-they looked downright furious as the screen split yet again into thirds as a third person hacked into the systems. This time it was a young…boy? He couldn't have been any older than thirteen or fourteen, and what was that strange costume he was wearing? The boy grinned, and waved.

"Yo."

"What-you?" Doctor Orihime fumed.

"Rockman! What have you done?" King bellowed, clearly furious. The boy didn't seem bothered at all by the threats, instead observing the fingers of his left hand.

"You know, you could be a little more polite. I wasn't going to stop by at all, you know, but watching you two fight so vainly was rather amusing, so I decided to have a chat. You should be happy to see your little ally for one last time before I go, you know?"

"Enough with the nonsense, child. What did you do?" demanded Orihime.

"You are no ally of mine, boy, if you've done what I suspect you have. Out with it!" King growled, his face getting angrier even as Rockman's face grew more amused.

"Hm? Oh, I didn't do much. I just drained all the power of Ra Mu and Meteor G for my own personal project, you see."

"WHAT?" both Orihime and King yelled, while the people watching weren't sure what to feel. It was good, that these two people had lost all their power but…what did the boy have planned? Why did they still all feel so much dread?

"You sneaking brat! How _dare_ you betray-"

"-why, I never, of all the stunts you've pulled, this is-"

"-where are you now, you little-"

"-you will rue this day, Rockman!"

Through the angry onslaught of words, Rockman did nothing but giggle amusedly.

"Now, now, settle down. I'm surprised that you're this shocked, really. Why did you assume that what I wanted was the same as you wanted? I might have agreed with you on some points, but that doesn't mean you should assume that I would automatically want to follow your cause. And Doctor! I even blatantly told you that I had my own plans, and yet you assumed that they wouldn't clash with yours! I thought you didn't like _fools_, Doctor Orihime!"

Rockman stopped giggling and let out a relaxed sigh. "Then again, I probably shouldn't have expected so much from humans, eh? So eager to avoid seeing your own faults, in order to avoid the pain of having to deal with them; ignoring smaller details in favor of seeing what they want to see…really, you humans are all so silly! That's why I'm here, you know."

"What are you planning, Rockman?" King demanded, to which the boy only chuckled.

"You ask me this now, instead of when you first met me? Of course…" The boy let out a twisted grin, an expression far more terrifying than what either King or Orihime had done so far.

"I'm here to save this world from its own suffering. That's all."

"What nonsense are you talking about, child?" Orihime shouted, her eyes alight with both fear and anger.

"Well, isn't it obvious? I did say I agreed with you two. The human race _is_ full of nothing but fools. We live, struggling from day to day to achieve desires that either grant limited happiness or that will never be won. All good things come to an end, yet we gladly go through countless amounts of pain just to feel a sliver of happiness. Thus we live, and then we die, only wanting more joy in our lives…it's painful, isn't it? Wanting to make bonds, and seeing them break. Seeking our heart's desire, only to have it change again on a whim, or to have it shattered before us…what a strange way to live. It's inefficient, illogical, and far too painful of a life…wouldn't it be better, if we didn't have to feel such things?"

"You would remove our emotions from us, then?" cried King. "You would remove our reasons for living from us?"

"Why, of course not. That would only leave you with an empty life, wouldn't it? No, I don't talk of removal…I talk of _destruction._"

There was a long moment of silence as his words sunk in, before the first hint of terror started showing itself on both King and Orihime's faces.

"You…you plan on destroying our world?"

"Not just the world, Doctor. This whole universe. Earth is simply the first step…or second, I suppose. Planet FM has already met its merciful end." The boy chuckled. "It's nothing to be scared of. Everything comes to an end. I'm just bringing it about sooner, so that you all don't have to suffer as long. Isn't that nice?"

"Do you think we'll take this lying down? We'll stop you, boy!"

"Ah. But how? And why would you want to? It'll be nice and painless, you know. Besides, Andromeda is already ready…all I have to do is turn it on. I don't feel like wasting time with threats and time limits, you know. It's not like I need you all to comply with my wishes or something. And you will all understand anyway, once you feel the sweet bliss of oblivion, won't you? In fact…" And Rockman held his hands to his chest, where the key-like emblem began to glow, the gem set into it gleaming with a bright light.

"It's just about time in ten, nine, eight…"

King and Orihime looked astounded, before they began to panic and call for both Empty and Heartless. Neither responded. Empty had no commands from Rockman to respond to her once Ra Mu was "finished awakening," and Heartless had silently left Dealer once she realized that she had failed her mission to save Daigo from the meteor and had no allies to help her take over the organization to stop King.

"Seven, six, five, four…"

People looked on with dread. Slowly, they began to look up at the sky, hearing nothing but the countdown. Some cried. Some screamed. Some thought it was all just a joke…that the world wasn't ending now…it couldn't. And there were others who simply didn't care, didn't see the problem with their lives ending.

"Three, two, one…"

It felt all too surreal.

"Activate, _Andromeda._"

**-0-0-0-Fin-0-0-0-**

* * *

**[A/N] That's it. That's the end. Roughly 110 pages and 51,800+ words, give or take a few due to the edits made in between Word to LiveJournal to Tumblr to FFNet. And to think this was intended to originally be written as a series of oneshots. I don't think I've had such inspiration writing a fic since my first terrible fic years ago. I still don't have any idea how it exploded into this monstrosity.**

**Gabe and Sol have both given me ideas for future scenes concerning this verse, so some oneshot stories may appear if they or I get around to writing them.**

**Anyways, to help give a little more insight as to how this verse came to be and to give you people something to chuckle over after this kind of ending, I'll direct you over to my Tumblr. There should be a link to it on my profile, but with FFNet's weird things about removing links (I just recently discovered that it takes out Rockman if you type it in as Rockman dot EXE WHICH COMPLETELY FUCKS UP MY CROSSOVER STORY AY and apparently I can't put colons in my Author's notes anymore?) I'll point out that my Tumblr name is "_em-exceeds-change-zearu_". When you get over there, check out the _"bad end AU go"_ tag. It has observations, reactions and replies to reviews, some author's notes, commentary about the fic, drawing parallels between the Bad End AU and various Ryuusei no Rockman canons, notes and commentary I made about progress of the fic as it was being written, and the plotting process for both past chapters and potential future fics.**

**And that probably amounts to maybe about 30 or 40% of the tag. Most of its contents is me making an ass of myself and tagging anything that vaguely reminds me of the bad end verse, as well as conversations between me and the rest of the Terrible Star Force Five, as I've taken to calling our part of the Tumblr RnR fandom (I dunno if anyone else has picked up on that nickname yet.) about said fic. Think of it as the second DVD in the pack that comes with all the goofy extras. Although admittedly, the tag doesn't actually have the original post that started everything, and a few other posts. The original post, at least, can be found at the _"geolaughingalonewithandromeda"_ tumblr, though, since it was a tumblr made to log all progress on the fic.**

**With that all settled, let me just say thank you to everyone who finished this fic! Feel free to leave reviews about what you liked and didn't like about the fic, or send me asks at my Tumblr as well (I allow anons, don't worry!). I feel really accomplished, it's not often that I actually manage to finish a chapter fic. Maybe now with this out of my system I can focus on those other multichapter Star Force fics I have planned or have already started.**

**...**

**Yeah, probably not. Until next time!**


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